Mark Wenger to head Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Mark Wenger will take over as executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy next month. He was most recently director of facilities at Colonial Williamsburg. Image courtesy of Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. – The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s board of directors has appointed Mark J. Wenger as the new executive director who will lead the organization beginning in February. He will succeed David N. Startzell, the longest serving executive director in the ATC’s history.

Wenger previously held a variety of leadership positions over 32 years with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, Va.

He brings to the ATC and in-depth knowledge of organizational, operational, financial, communications, and development skill sets in the not-for-profit field. In his most recent position, he served as director of facilities where he was responsible for managing an operating budget of $30 million, maintaining more than 800 buildings, 1,500 acres, and 200 employees and volunteers.

Wenger is active in the Appalachian Trail community as life member of both the Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club and the Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club. He is past program chair, vice president, and president of TATC. He was most recently Regional Partnership Committee representative and RPC chairman for the Virginia region. He also served on the steering committee for the recently completed 2011 Virginia Journeys, the ATC’s 38th Biennial Conference. Wenger has also led an extensive number of outdoor trips (backpacking, canoeing, cycling and whitewater rafting) for the TATC earning him the Ray Kernel Jr., Trip Leadership Award. On Aug. 1 he completed an eight-year, three-month effort to section hike the Appalachian Trail.

“Mark has the nonprofit management experience that the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is looking for, plus a strong connection to the A.T. and the Trail community,” said Bob Almand, chair of the board of directors for the ATC.

Wenger graduated from the University of Southwestern Louisiana with a bachelor of architecture degree. He received a master’s degree in architectural history from the University of Virginia and is a licensed architect in Virginia and Louisiana.

Wenger is active in a number of other groups. He has volunteered for over 22 years with the Boy Scouts of America at the local, council, and regional levels. He is Outdoor Ethics Advisor for his council providing him a vehicle to champion the cause of Leave No Trace while at the same time promoting more but responsible use of the outdoors. He serves on the board and is vice chair of the Williamsburg Landing, a large, not-for-profit retirement community. He serves of the board of the Mountain State Railroad and Historical Logging Association based in Cass, W.Va.

“I feel honored to be offered the position of executive director at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. I intend to build on the high standards and excellence that defines this organization while moving forward to serve the next generation of Trail users,” said Wenger.

Wenger enters the ATC at a time of growth and development. The ATC currently has over 42,000 members, a vast network of over 6,800 volunteers, more than 2 million visitors every year, and an operating budget of $6.8 million. 2012 also marks the 75th anniversary of the completion of the Appalachian Trail.

For more information visit www.appalachiantrail.org.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

Mark Wenger will take over as executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy next month. He was most recently director of facilities at Colonial Williamsburg. Image courtesy of Appalachian Trail Conservancy.