The Blue Star Trail
Friends. Communities. Believers. Doers.
Who we are
The Friends of the Blue Star Trail is a diverse group of individuals with a common bond: We all care deeply about preserving and expanding our scenic Michigan Trail for the enjoyment of all. We believe the Blue Star Trail is a legacy project, something that will endure into future generations. Building this legacy takes time, patience and cooperation, but it is definitely worth the effort.
What we do
Our all-volunteer group of local residents acts as a catalyst for growing and improving the Trail for everyone. Working in partnership with local communities, we promote, fund, engineer, construct, encourage use, and sustain the Blue Star Trail. And we invite you to join us.
How we do it
Friends raises funds through direct donations. We also host two signature events each year that help fund the Trail: Toast to the Blue Star Trail and the Lakeshore Harvest Ride. This covers engineering costs and provides local match funds required to obtain state/federal matching grants needed to construct the trail.
Board of Directors
Clark Carmichael
President
Ganges Township
Clark, President of the Board of Directors, brings a background in banking, business ownership, business asset sales, and real estate to the Board as its President. He was active in helping individuals and small private companies find businesses or expand their market opportunities before retiring to West Michigan.
He joined the Board because of his prior experience as a volunteer on the Anderson Township Transportation Advisory Committee in Ohio. The group developed a trails plan which led to the construction of two major segments or the “spine” of the planned network. He believes “it was transformational for the community; for the first time, residents were connected to each other by something other than roads. The trails also connected them to the many public/private buildings near its path.” In time the trail came to serve as a vital link within the community, something he believes will happen with the Blue Star Trail.
Although he has had to back down on active sports, he remains a big sports fan and music lover.
Richard Donovan
Secretary
Douglas
Richard, the Board's Secretary, joined the Board in the Spring of 2018. He brings over 40 years of legal experience to the Board. He was a partner in an international law firm in New York City and has counseled several non-profit organizations in the course of his career. Now licensed to practice law in Michigan, he hopes to use his legal expertise to help the Friends complete its mission to develop the Blue Star Trail.
He and his family have been visiting the Saugatuck area for many years and moved here full time in 2013. He became familiar with the BST through his wife Ellen’s volunteer efforts.
Richard likes to take advantage of the scenic beauty in this area by hiking with a group in the state park, kayaking, and biking, and has started to learn how to fly-fish. He and his wife enjoy traveling around the world and keeping up with their three sons.
Jack Eisinger
Treasurer
Saugatuck Township
Jack, the Board’s treasurer, brings over 40 years experience as shareholder and Chief Financial person in a Chicago Manufacturer Representation firm and Import Business selling hard goods to all the major retailers across the US.
He plans to use his financial experience to guide the Friends organization to continue building the Trail. He also hopes to deliver some major donors to help provide the matching funds necessary to secure government grants and cover the trails engineering costs.
Jack enjoys maintaining his property, hiking in the Colorado mountains, kayaking in Lake Michigan, and cycling the trails around West Michigan. He says he “would love to be able to accomplish a century ride some year!”
Dan Keller
Saugatuck Township
Dan draws on a career in Marketing for the Board, having extensive experience as a Marketing Executive with Fortune 100 companies involved with consumer package goods and the automotive industry. He currently consults with a primary focus on Customer Relationship Marketing and Loyalty.
Recognizing that The Friends of The Blue Star Trail would benefit from a more consistent branding and communication efforts, he joined the Board in late 2017 to develop and lead a marketing and communications campaign.
In addition to biking, Dan loves to kayak on the big lake, play some golf and Pickleball.
Nancy Kimble
Saugatuck City
Nancy’s passion for cycling was a key consideration in her family’s recent decision to become Michiganders. Nancy and her husband, Mark, are Southern Illinois natives that chose Saugatuck as their retirement and forever home in 2019. West Michigan offers the opportunity to pursue their keen interests in outdoor activities including kayaking, hiking and, most importantly, cycling.
Nancy’s extensive experience in project and operations management enable her to lead focused and results oriented initiatives. While much of her professional career was in financial services, she has a wide-ranging background, from her role as an Environmental Specialist with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to Operations Manager for a non-profit mental health counseling group in Chicago.
Nancy is eager to use her skills and energy to assist the Board in attaining completion of the Blue Star Trail. In addition to the obvious benefit to cyclists, the economic and health advantages resulting from the trail will support all residents of the Saugatuck/Douglas/South Haven region.
Kevin Martin
Fennville
Kevin Martin, founder and past president of KLM Creative, Inc. also serves as Chair and Host for Toast to the Blue Star Trail, the organization's annual fundraiser which raised over $80,000 in 2021. KLM is a business-to-business full-service marketing agency with more than 20 associates, located in San Francisco.
Kevin and husband Duane Brown have lived in the Saugatuck-Douglas area since 1989, when they designed and built their own summer cottage. In 2000, they renovated three barns and built their home on property now known as Quiet Creek Farm.
Kevin is active in the local community as a supporter of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Paws4-Cause, Kids Food Basket and West Shore AWARE.
Board Advisors
Sunny Hill
Emeritus
Glenn
Sonia “Sunny” Hill is an Emeritus Board member who has spent the last eight years working for and advocating the Trail. “Developing it has been an interesting challenge” a project she believes will improve the communities it connects
When not reading she pursues the active life by biking, kayaking, gardening, and playing tennis.
John Adams
Emeritus
Fennville
John has been involved with the Friends of the Blue Star Trail for eight years. With their kids grown John and his wife Denise relocated to Western Michigan from the Detroit area after nearly 25 years in various roles in the financial business, from portfolio manager to CEO. He grew up in Kalamazoo where he developed an appreciation for West Michigan and all it has to offer.
He enjoys an active life style by biking, golfing, hiking, scuba diving and skiing. He’s dedicated much time and effort to The Blue Star Trail because he believes it will provide “an opportunity to promote active lifestyles, highlight the natural beauty in the area, and improve safety along an important local route.”