Board of Directors

Guiding the Vision

The Friends of Berrien County Trails is led by a dedicated team of volunteers. From urban planners to avid cyclists, our diverse backgrounds share a singular focus: connecting our community.

Meet Our Board Members

We are a volunteer team of neighbors, cyclists, and conservationists united by a shared passion: building a healthier, more connected Berrien County.

President

Beat is Sr. Director, Global Sustainability at Whirlpool Corporation. Beat has lived in southwest Michigan for more than 30 years and enjoys spending as much time outside as possible with his wife and two children. In addition to Friends of Berrien County Trails, he is active in numerous cycling based organizations, i.e. Bike Michiana Coalition, Pachyderm Pedalers, and the Whirlpool Cycling Club. A native of Switzerland, where trails are abundant, he strongly believes in developing trail infrastructure for all abilities and all types of non-motorized transport. Beat is extremely active in supporting the Lakeview Mountain Bike Trail and the Lakeshore Trail, a paved multi-use path along M-63.

Vice President

Mike is the past owner of Garey Roofing, a family business founded in 1913. Mike also served on the St. Joseph city commission for 22 years, 8 years as its Mayor. In his role as mayor, Mike chaired the Best Practices Committee (BPC) that is composed of elected or appointed leaders representing 19 communities within Berrien County. The BPC engaged its membership through their individual master plans to explore ways to connect their communities via non-motorized trails. This work was handed over to The Friends of Berrien County Trails organization to assist in their vision for the county.

Board Member

John currently serves as Chairman of the Chikaming Township Planning Commission, a volunteer on the team that created the Red Arrow Corridor Berrien County Linear Park Master Plan in 2018, and also headed the advisory group for Harbert community planning. A licensed Architect, John is Founder and Chairman of the national Chicago-based firm Chipman Design Architecture with several southwest Michigan projects and many projects across the country during the past 42 years. John is an avid road and trails bicyclist and loves hiking at Warren Dunes State Park. As full-time residents of Harbert, he and his wife Debbie are Airstream adventurers, rating Michigan’s State Parks among their favorites.

Treasurer

Bob has been in municipal government for over 13 years in Lake Charter Township. He retired from the Treasurer’s office after 12 years. He continues serving as the Deputy Treasurer. He has been part of numerous local non-profit organizations in leadership roles. He and his wife Barb have lived in Bridgman for 30 years. They now spend most of their time traveling, doing outdoor activities, and spending time with their family and grandkids. They are very active outdoors and enjoy cycling, camping, kayaking, and hiking. They understand that recreation is important to a healthy, fulfilling life. The economic impact of trails, attracting visitors and new residents to our area, is critical. Bob’s leadership, municipal government experience, and financial background will help The Friends with their mission. He enjoys being part of this group.

Past and Founding President

Gary is involved in several local nonprofit organizations and community initiatives. In terms of trails, he is actively involved in developing and funding of the Marquette Greenway from the Michigan-Indiana border to New Buffalo. His primary career has been in senior management of high-rise commercial office buildings in downtown Chicago, and simultaneously philanthropy in San Francisco and Chicago. He has served on multiple Boards locally, regionally, & nationally. As a retiree, he believes in giving back. Currently, Gary is the board chair of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance. Also, for his leadership in Berrien County, the Marquette Greenway trailhead in New Buffalo was named in his honor.

Board Member

Chris is a native of St. Joseph where he lives with his wife Amy and raised their three sons. Chris graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Employment Relations and a Master’s degree in Labor Relations & Human Resources. He is currently a Broker Associate with @properties in St. Joseph. Chris is an advocate for trails and cycling in southwest Michigan through volunteering time to promote trail projects and maintain existing trails. He enjoys hiking and running at Grand Mere and cycling the country roads throughout Berrien County. Chris has competed in the Steelhead Triathlon several times and enjoys running endurance trail races, having completed a 50k in 2019. Chris is also the President of the St. Joseph Junior Foundation (non-profit sailing program) and a member of the Berrien County Land Preservation Board.

Board Member

Jerry has lived in Buchanan his entire life. He has been married to his high school sweetheart for over 50 years, and they have two children and five grandchildren. He graduated from Western Michigan University in 1970 and entered the US Army. He retired as Captain of the Army. He worked for Coca-Cola for 16 years and Canteen Services for 26 years. In 2017, he was Volunteer of the Year for SW Michigan. Jerry has been a member of the Lions Club for over 40 years and served as President of the Buchanan Community Schools Board of Education for 13 years. He also served on the Chamber of Commerce for 16 years (six as President). He has been on the McCoy Creek Trail committee for 10 years ( six as Chairperson). He loves to volunteer and give back to his community!

Board Advisor

Marcy works at the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission and has worked on trail and park projects in SW Michigan for over 25 years. She was instrumental in the funding and implementation of the IN MI River Valley Trail, Paw Paw River Water Trail, Dowagiac River Water Trail, Lake Michigan Water Trail and the Marquette Greenway. She also wrote the SW Michigan Non-Motorized Transportation Plan 2020 for MDOT.

Take a Seat at the Table

We are always looking for passionate community members to join our committees or board.