Board of Directors

In 2016, after Ed, his wife Elizabeth, and their salty dog Luna spent five years aboard their Bristol 41 sailing the western North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea, including South and Central America, they settled in Bethel to be closer to family. Raising their two children in Charlotte, North Carolina, Ed worked as Director of Land Sales for Crescent Resources where his team was responsible for the land management and sales of a portfolio more than 200,000 acres. Prior to Crescent, he was the owner of Wingate Paving Company for more than 12 years, specializing in recreational projects as well as residential and commercial development. Originally from southern New Jersey, Ed was an active Boy Scout, ultimately becoming an Eagle Scout and learning the value that the woodlands have to offer. Having a Bachelor’s degree in plant biology, a background in forestry and the love of the outdoors Ed enjoys all that IWT and Maine has to offer.

After a successful 38 year career as a Dentist in Auburn, Maine, Jeff has developed a passion for trail building with IWT. He volunteers with the trail crew both in the winter and in the summer and has recently finished a three year term as IWT treasurer. He currently serves as Vice President and leads the Development Team. Jeff and his wife, Sara, love cycling, hiking, fly fishing, skiing and traveling. They have two grown daughters.

Shawn and his family split their time between the seacoast of New Hampshire and the mountains of Western Maine. They enjoy skiing, trail running, hiking and mountain biking. Professionally, Shawn spends his time in the software space investing and supporting leadership teams. He currently serves as the treasurer, working with IWT on planning and analysis.

A founding member of IWT, Jonathan and his wife, Kate, own True North Adventureware in Bethel.

Robin has enjoyed nearly 40 years of serving Bethel area communities, as Executive Director of the Chamber, a Bethel Rotarian, a founder of Bethel Area Arts & Music, and a trustee of IWT. She and husband, Doug, own Doug Zinchuk Roofing, as well as several rental properties. Robin is from East Brunswick, New Jersey and graduated with a BS in Physical Education from Montclair State University. She has four sons: Daniel, Brian, Kevin and Matthew, as well as five grandsons.

Karen Wilson is from New Hampshire's Mount Washington Valley. She attended the University of Vermont to become a teacher. Karen married Todd Papianou, and they owned and operated Northern Waters Whitewater School in Errol, New Hampshire for 15 years. They moved to Andover, Maine to run the business, and also took teaching positions in the area. In 2016, Karen left teaching and became a math coach. That same year she was elected Board Member of the Chisholm Ski Club in Rumford and began coaching alpine ski racing at Black Mountain of Maine. In 2018, she was elected as a Board Member of IWT and was appointed to Rumford Hospital’s River Valley Community Health Committee. In 2020, Karen joined Central Maine Healthcare’s Quality and Value Committee and became an adjunct lecturer at the University of Maine at Farmington. In 2022, Karen added Central Maine Healthcare’s Long Term Care Board to her list of board appointments. Karen is an avid skier, cyclist, hiker, paddler, and all around lover of everything outdoors. She is most at home on the trails.

Julie moved to Bethel in 2018 and has more than 30 years experience in nonprofit marketing and communications. A graduate of Mt. Holyoke College and Wesleyan University, she is on the board of the Shelburne Trails Club and was a volunteer naturalist with the Appalachian Mountain Club for over 10 years. Julie loves to hike, ski, and snowshoe.

Peter has been a member of the IWT board since its inception. He served as board president from 2012-2016 and from 2018-2021. He recently retired as the science department chair at Gould Academy where he also coached mountain biking and road cycling. Peter started Bethel Bicycle (now Barker Mountain Bikes) in 2008 and owned it until 2015. He also served on the Town of Bethel select board from 2012 until 2021. Peter is an avid mountain biker, road cyclist, nordic and alpine skier. He and his wife, Sarah, embarked on a cross country bicycle tour of the Northern Tier states in the summer of 2022. He is excited about the continued expansion of the mountain bike trail network in and around Bethel.

Rusty Partridge is thankful to have spent the past 20 years calling western Maine home to live, work, and play. He resides in Norway with his wife, Sara, and two children where he owns and operates Black Dog Timberworks, a custom timber frame design/build shop. In the winter time, Rusty serves on the volunteer Ski Patrol at Mt Abram. He and his family love seeking adventure in the outdoors across many disciplines and currently rank hiking, mountain biking, backcountry skiing, and canoe tripping among the favorites. Rusty is excited to work with the great crew at IWT to help continue to grow the network and offerings for outdoor fun and adventure!

James C. Tassé (Jim) is a nationally-recognized bicycle/pedestrian safety educator and advocate who has been active in trail, bike, ski and hiking initiatives in Maine and Vermont for over 25 years. He is the former chairperson for the Cape Elizabeth Conservation Committee, where he oversaw development and maintenance of one of the most-used trail systems in Southern Maine for eight years. He is also the former president of the Greater Portland Chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association, and has assisted in the design and development of trail systems in many communities, including Gorham, Falmouth, and Yarmouth. He is currently the Assistant Director for the Bicycle Coalition of Maine (BCM), and brings non-profit management experience and expertise on bike/pedestrian policy to the IWT board. He is a graduate of the University of Vermont (BA, MA) and University of Colorado (PhD), as well as a League of American Bicyclists "League Cycling Instructor," a Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Association Level I certified instructor, an International Mountain Bike Association-trained trail designer, and a graduate of the Maine Institute for Civic Leadership. In cold weather, Jim is a ski industry professional with over 20 years of alpine and nordic experience. He lives in Greenwood, Maine.