About us

These are the people behind the scenes at the Treeline Conservancy.

DID YOU KNOW . . .

. . . that a Treeline Board member wrote a famous sports anthem that you are almost sure to know? Check out Spotlight on David Barrett, below.

Board of Directors.

Peter Baker
David Barrett
Sarah Bishara
Brock Hastie
Norman Herbert
Melinda Morris

Roy Muir

Joe O’Neal
Omari Rush
Kevin Thompson

Staff.

Nan Plummer,
Executive Director

Francesca Cassara,
Administrative Associate

Advisory Council.

Linda Berauer

Bonnie Bona

Terry Bravender

Hank Byma

Wayne Colquitt

Janine Easter

Steve Easter

John Fingerle

Bob Galardi

Jennifer Hall

Steve Hamp

Kate Harris

Frank Johnson

Christopher Kolb

Darren McKinnon

Rita Mitchell

John Nystuen

Alice Ralph

Maya Savarino

Martin Schwartz

Brian Talbot

Margaret Wong

Spotlight on Board member David Barrett.

David Barrett is famous for writing the greatest sports anthem of all time. “One Shining Moment” concludes every NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament. But why is there a composer on the Treeline Board? Because David is also an advocate for youth sports and the environment.

We’re proud to give David the first “shining moment” in our Board Spotlight series.

What initially drew you to the Treeline Conservancy’s work?

Actually, I knew nothing about the Treeline until my friend Joe O’Neal asked me to have coffee with him to discuss it. We had worked together on both the Argo Pond issue and the building of the Argo Cascades years before.  

Which impact of the project excites you the most?

When I see what Argo Pond and Argo Cascades have become, it is very heartening. It took time, hard work, and good will. Now it is thriving. The same will be true with our Treeline. It will uniquely connect our fair town on so many levels.

After its being in the making for nearly 2 decades, what keeps you motivated to see the Treeline to its completion?

Well, Joe has carried the torch for all those years, while I’m a newcomer by comparison. But I learned with my Argo experience, that these projects simply take time – often far more time than you wish. But I know that generations will thank us . . . even though they won’t know our names.  That motivates me . . .

What is your favorite way to enjoy public trails? Well, I’m a walker, which is one of the reasons that I refer to The Treeline as practical environmentalism at its best. To be able to walk vs. drive to and around the city works for heart and health reasons, while being a pragmatic solution for some of the traffic issues of our Ann Arbor.