About
Friends of the
Cumberland Trail

Our Mission:
To preserve the protect the environmental, cultural, and historical resources of the Cumberland Trail, to provide related educational opportunities, and to support park needs.

Preservation, Volunteer work, Fund Raising

The Friends of the Cumberland Trail, Inc., are a group of volunteers who work to support the maintenance and completion and Tennessee’s 300-mile hiking trail. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is making history, and you can be part of it!

As volunteers, we work to raise funds, facilitate volunteer work, and preserve the ecology, history, and folklore of the Cumberland Trail.

The Cumberland Trail project has benefited from contributions of volunteer time and private donations of property and funding at historic levels. It’s the only park in the nation with its own weekly radio broadcast and a recording studio to capture the culture of the Cumberland Plateau.

Imagine a foot trail traversing the mountain tops, river gorges, meadows, and valleys of the Cumberland Plateau through eleven East Tennessee counties.

Consider the rich history, the musical heritage, the thousands of plants, trees, and creatures unique to the Cumberland Plateau, and the need to preserve, protect these resources and to educate Tennesseans and visitors, and you can begin to understand the breadth of this project.

There’s a LOT to do.

We want the Cumberland Trail to be a household name in communities throughout Tennessee – a park that is used, maintained, promoted, and cherished by its communities and visitors.

Current Board Members

Please click on the board members’ names to learn more about each one.

President: Herb Roberts
Vice President: Brenden Martin
Treasurer: Stephen Bryant
Secretary: Debbie Shaver

Peter Koczera
Jeanie Hilten
Del Truitt
Roby Cogswell

Friends of the Cumberland Trail About Us

Herb Roberts President

I was born in a small cabin in the woods…..just kidding! I grew up in East Nashville graduating from East High School in 1964. I then attended MTSU, graduating in 1969 with a degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation with minors in Secondary Education and Biology, with the prospect of teaching Physical Education and coaching track and field. However, the war in Vietnam was raging, so I joined the US Air Force in 1969. I spent 4 years active duty, 39 months of that in Turkey, serving as a Radio Intercept Analyst.

After my discharge, I relocated back to Tennessee and started working for Tennessee State Parks. I worked for State Parks for 40 years, serving as a Park Ranger at Natchez Trace State Park, Big Cypress Tree Natural Area and the Harpeth River State Scenic River. I then served as the Ranger-Naturalist at Fall Creek Falls State Park for 4 years, and then transferred to Sycamore Shoals Historic Area as the Park Superintendent in 1983. I served as the Superintendent for 20 years before taking the Regional Manager’s job for East Tennessee with State Parks and helped to coordinate and manage the 16 State Parks in East TN for the last 10 years of my career. Along the way, starting at Big Cypress, I was able to finish another BS degree in Natural Resources Management and Park and Recreation Administration from UT-Martin in 1981 by attending classes on days off and nights, and finishing the degree while working at Fall Creek Falls and attending Tennessee Tech University. So, I ended up with a lot of BS!

I retired from State Parks in 2012. I have served on the Board of the Friends for many years, and served the past few years as President. My wife Terri and I live just outside Maryville, and I have enjoyed hiking in the Smokies since retirement, completing all the hiking trails in the Park. I also have had the opportunity to hike many more State Park trails, and I especially enjoy hiking on the Cumberland Trail with my friends. I have always enjoyed the outdoors, and am very grateful to have had the opportunity to promote a love of nature and history with Park visitors during my career with Tennessee State Parks, and my advocacy for the Cumberland Trail and the Friends.

Brenden Martin
Vice President

Born and raised in Middle Tennessee, Brenden is avid outdoorsman, musician, and historian. While working on his Ph.D. in History at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, he coordinated a local history project in partnership with the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum in Townsend, Tennessee.

After spending a summer as a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger at Norris Dam State Park, he accepted a job as the Historian at the Museum of the New South in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he oversaw the research and planning of the museum’s exhibitions as well as the development and management of collections.

In 1999, Brenden moved to Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he taught Public History and Southern History at Northwestern State University and authored the Master Interpretive Plan for the Cane River National Heritage Area.

He is currently a Professor of Public History at Middle Tennessee State University, where he teaches Museum Studies and works with public history graduate students to develop exhibits, programs, and other interpretive materials.

Stephen Bryant
Treasurer

Stephen has served as the Treasurer of the Friends of the Cumberland Trail, Inc since, 2015. He was recognized as a Cumberland Trail 50 miler in 2017. He assisted with the fund raising efforts to purchase nearly 300 acres of land that is now Cummins Falls State Park. He helped organize the Friends of Cummins Falls, Inc and served as its initial president for five years. He and his spouse Cynthia are members of the Friends of Burgess Falls, Friends of Cummins Falls and Friends of South Cumberland, Inc in addition to The Friends of The Cumberland Trail.

Stephen is a Certified Tennessee Naturalist with training at Owls Hill Sanctuary. Since graduating from a twenty-five year career in banking, he has hiked 1,451 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Stephen is an avid fisherman and caught more than 250 fish on his Appalachian Trail trek, including 22 species. He offers guided wildflower and aquatic species identification hikes.

Debbie Shaver
Secretary

Debbie was born in Chattanooga, family moved to High Point, NC and in 1962 came back to Tennessee where she has lived every since. She is the third generation to live on the farm they live now. She is married to Marvin Shaver, who’s family home is on the register for 100 year old farm. They have two sons and 9 grandchildren and one great grand child.

Working as an artist for Wabco Co for 20 years, then developing her own desktop publishing co. Buffies. and after 15 year has retired.

Debbie loves the outdoors and gardening, and is a member of the Rhea County Historical Society. Debbie is currently a member of the Friends of the Cumberland Trail, serving as secretary. She is also a member of the Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs, whose “Land Trust” project is the Cumberland Trail.

Currently she is serving as TFGC 1st Vice President, TFGC Awards Chairman, TFGC Newsletter Cumberland Trail Chairman, TFGC District III Awards Chairman and president of Dayton Garden Club.

She was introduced to the Cumberland Trail through a Garden Club program and became interested in being a part of its completion, hence joining the Friends Group shortly after it was formed. Very interested in the Historical Preservation, and environment along the Cumberland Trail.

Debbie also does the “Along the Trail” newsletter for the Friends and is always looking for interesting stories to include. She also likes helping with events sponsored by the Friends and enjoys meeting people.

Currently with her husband are tracing the steps of his Great Grandfather through the Civil War. And have visited Shilo, Vicksburg, Cumberland Gap and Mills Creek.

Peter Koczera

Peter C. Koczera has been a Board Member of the Friends of the Cumberland Trail since 2014. He is the Director of the Cumberland Trail Photography Project, a joint venture between the Friends of the Cumberland Trail, the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail, and photograher Peter Koczera.

The Cumberland Trail Photography Project (CTPP) is an ongoing undertaking to document and artistically interpret the Cumberland Trail, its natural wonders, historical sites, construction progress, and the communities and people who continue to contribute to its growing history. Peter documentary and artistic photography produced for the CTPP is being conserved in the Cumberland Trail Archives and used to promote the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail.

Peter Koczera arrived in Tennessee after a career of over thirty years in the Hollywood entertainment industry. Originally from New Bedford Massachusetts, Peter moved to California in 1973 to attend the California Institute for the Arts where he received a BA and MFA in Film. Throughout his career, Peter has worked internationally in Visual Effects & Graphics Works as a digital artist, teacher and consultant. He has hundreds of film and television credits to his name and has served on the Board of Directors for both the Visual Effects Society and the Art Directors Guild in Los Angeles.

Presently, in addition to the Friends Board, he is a member and past president for the Board of Directors of the Campbell Culture Coalition in Campbell County, Tennessee.

Jeanie Hilten

From the shores of Lake Michigan, to the cactus country of Arizona, and now in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Jeanie Hilten has devoted her work and play to the celebration of nature and its power to enrich human lives. She credits her love of the outdoors and its beauties to artist parents who throughout her life encouraged appreciation of the wonder and complexity of both nature and people.

She studied Anthropology and Geology for her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and after work as a naturalist in Tennessee State Parks, returned for a Masters of Science in Forest Ecology.

Jeanie and her husband moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1983, and they were both were enthralled by the spectacular scenery and fascinating cultures of the southwest. Jeanie worked in the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum as an interpreter.

Returning to Tennessee in 1986, Jeanie continued her environmental education and conservation efforts with positions at Wesley Woods Camp, Blount County Soil Conservation District, and Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont.

In 2000, Jeanie became Administrative Officer of Discover Life in America, Inc.,
coordinating the ambitious endeavor called the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. She directed a strong science education effort with the project, combining the research of world-renowned experts in natural history with the participation of “citizen scientist” volunteers, teachers, and students, and the inventory and monitoring work of National Park staff.

In 2007, with her position as Special Events Coordinator with the Smoky Mountain Visitors Bureau, Jeanie brought people together for celebrations of the natural and cultural history of the Smokies. She retired in 2012, but not from her efforts in conservation and environmental education.

Jeanie and husband Richard live in East Millers Cove on 22 acres of woods, fields, streams, and gardens. Jeanie gardens, knits, and plays old time banjo. Together she and Richard, who is a fine naturalist, outdoorsman and conservationist, enjoy spending time with family and friends, motorcycle travel, hiking, and music.

Del Truitt

Del is a life-long Tennessean raised in Lawrenceburg, graduated from the University of Tennessee. He worked at Montgomery Bell State Park and Paris Landing State Park before returning to school to get a Masters Degree in Business and wrote a major paper on privatizing a State Park: Pros and Cons. He returned to State Parks as Director of State Parks/Assistant Commissioner in the mid 90’s.

Specific goals and objectives he tried to pursue while Director:

Advance and expand many programs in all the Parks related to history, culture, environmental and outdoor experiences (especially for kids).
Develop and design transparent and professional job responsibilities in selecting and promoting, to include commensurate pay for Park Rangers, Interpretive Specialist and other park personnel.
Involve Park Managers directly in the selection, pay, and promotion of personnel.
Match individual Park Managers, Rangers, and Interpretive Specialist and their specific interests, education, and inclinations to the specific characteristics of the individual parks.
Create and implement management training programs to involve Park Mangers and Rangers in budgeting and the accountability of decision-making.
Wean politics away from operational, personnel, and decisions.

Roby Cogswell

Robert “Roby” Cogswell of Nashville was raised in Shelbyville. He graduated from Vanderbilt University and earned a Ph.D. in folklore studies at Indiana University. He taught at the University of Louisville and conducted public folklife projects for the Kentucky Arts Council before joining the Tennessee Arts Commission as Director of Folk Arts in 1984. He remained in that position, later called the Folklife Program Director, for thirty years, administering grant programs, documenting Tennessee folk arts, providing technical assistance and information services about the state's folk culture, and doing special projects including publications, events, and exhibits about traditional music, crafts, and vernacular life in Tennessee. His work files and photography are now housed in the TN Arts Commission Folklife Program collection at TN State Library and Archives.

Over the years, Cogswell also worked with the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife, the National Park Service, and the National Folk Festival, and has chaired the Folk Arts Advisory Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts. He has received the American Folklore Society’s Botkin Prize for lifetime achievement in public folklore. A lifelong bluegrass and old-time musician, since his retirement in 2014, Roby’s been playing fiddle tunes on his Cumberland Plateau-built Horner mandolin.

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About
Friends of the
Cumberland Trail