Buckeye Trail Association announces new staff member, staff restructure

The Buckeye Trail Association Board of Trustees met on Thursday, January 22 to discuss a number of topics, including an operations restructure – giving alignment to the Strategic Plan and budget period, as well as identifying future staffing positions and a change of titles for full-time staff to follow industry normals.

Andrew Bashaw remains our Executive Director, a position that he has held since 2010. Alexys Nolan has shifted from Volunteer Program Manager to Volunteer Program Director. Aidan Reagh, previously Marketing and Office Coordinator, is now Communications and Development Director. Connie Pond remains the Buckeye Trail Association’s part-time Membership Clerk. The restructure also calls for the creation of a full-time Finance and Operations Director position when the budget allows.

Janelle Olix has joined the Buckeye Trail Association staff as an AmeriCorps Service Member. Janelle will join for a 900-hour service term (ending in September) and support the development and management of the Buckeye Trail Association’s volunteer program.

Meet Janelle Olix

Hi everyone,

My name is Janelle (Jay) Olix. I’m serving as an AmeriCorps member through Rural Action, an organization that supports social/environmental justice in Appalachian Ohio. I’m dedicated to fostering connections between community members through volunteerism, as well as helping communities as a whole feel more connected to their local environment. 

I grew up in Mentor, Ohio, near the northern terminus of the Buckeye Trail. I spent most of my youth exploring the local parks, where I built a strong appreciation for my community’s natural spaces. 

As I got older, I strove to bring that same feeling of connection to future generations, while working to preserve the spaces that I had grown to cherish. I spent several years volunteering for organizations such as the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Harvard Lab’s Tree-Plenish, and Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Following these experiences, I went on to work for the Lake Metroparks Plant Science Center as an interpretive naturalist, designing and presenting programs to patrons of the park. 

After graduating from high school with my A.S., I moved to Southern Ohio to attend Ohio University. From there, I earned a B.S. in Environmental Geoscience, with a concentration in Water Resources and a certificate in Geographic Information Science. I fell in love with the Appalachian landscape and immediately applied to serve through Rural Action with the AmeriCorps. Going forward, I’m excited to apply my knowledge and experience in the natural sciences towards conservation and connection across the parks of Ohio.

I look forward to meeting you on the trail!