About SGP

Leslie joined the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership as the Executive Director in 2023. She works collaboratively with a dedicated team tasked to advance the vision, mission, goals, and objectives of the 500-mile-long greenway network. She serves as a key liaison between government officials, agencies, and partner organizations to create connections, develop resources, and promote the Susquehanna Greenway.

Leslie is a Penn State graduate with a degree in Landscape Architecture. Early in her career, she worked on various data collection, assessment, and visioning phases for the Susquehanna River in support of the future Susquehanna Greenway Partnership. As a private consultant, she developed methodologies for bike, pedestrian, and greenway master plans and designed trails, parks, and streetscapes in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Leslie worked in the public sector for County and local governments as a senior planner in transportation and land use. She served as an elected official and an appointed local and regional planning commissioner and continues to volunteer for a variety of community causes. As an advocate for access to quality recreation facilities, Leslie is delighted to bring her skill set to SGP with a focus on creating connections.

Alana joined the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership in 2018 and was promoted to Director of Communications & Outreach in 2019. Her work is focused on promoting trails and communities within our vibrant and connected Susquehanna Greenway, so that communities in our region can enjoy opportunities to engage with the outdoors. A graduate of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, Alana received a B.A. and M.A. before joining SGP. One of Alana’s earlier endeavors was as project manager for a PBS documentary series entitled “Stories of the Susquehanna Valley.” The narratives of this series allowed her to make connections from one river town to another, sparking a desire to become more involved in communities along the shared waterway. SGP has become an avenue for her to do just that.

In her spare time, Alana enjoys hiking, kayaking, painting, reading, collecting tea, and traveling. During her travels, both in the U.S. and abroad, she’s always on the lookout for ways to get outside and bask in the natural surroundings. Her time at SGP has shown her that these things also exist right in our own backyard in the beautiful Susquehanna Valley. She loves how the Greenway can feed these interests, and how her own experiences can serve the continued growth and development of SGP.

Poppy joined the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership in 2022. Her position in SGP’s Trails Program area involves implementing and supporting programs, projects, and planning efforts to improve, expand, and create trails and outdoor recreation opportunities throughout the Susquehanna Greenway within Pennsylvania. In collaborating with local and state trail partners, nonprofits, and government entities, Poppy will further advance trail use and development including non-motorized transportation, water and land use and conservation, and active healthy living opportunities.

Poppy graduated from Gettysburg College with a degree in Studio Art and Philosophy with a minor in Art History. While at Gettysburg she helped to create the GRAB Program (Gettysburg Recreational Adventure Board) where she guided trips and led programs for the entire campus community. After graduating, she worked as a Wilderness Guide for several years, leading trips across the U.S. and internationally before creating the Outdoor Education and Leadership Program at Bucknell University. Before joining SGP, she had been working in Healthcare and focusing on her family. She is excited to return to outdoor recreation and bring her passion for the outdoors to people and communities throughout the Susquehanna Greenway.

Sara Maul joined Susquehanna Greenway Partnership in 2022 as the Administrative & Operations Assistant. She focuses on grant tracking, bookkeeping and general support to the Executive Director. Sara is a graduate of Paul Smith’s College and University of Massachusetts, with degrees in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Her love of the outdoors, and most specifically kayaking the Susquehanna, led her to get involved with SGP. Sara is looking forward to being integral to the work that brings more people to enjoy and appreciate what our region has to offer. As a new member of the Selinsgrove Borough Council, she sees how local municipalities can impact the residents and the region by means of providing them with the opportunities to get outdoors. Sara can be reached at [email protected].

Darian Jones joined the team at Susquehanna Greenway Partnership in the fall of 2024. As the Communications and Outreach Assistant, she works closely with the Director of Communications and other staff to inform the communities along the greenway of the mission, vision, and resources available through SGP and its partners. Darian holds an A.A. in Humanities from Luzerne County Community College and a B.A. in English from Commonwealth University, Bloomsburg. She hopes to use the time she spent learning technical writing, literary criticism, digital rhetoric, and graphic design to serve the non-profit and its mission across Pennsylvania.  

As someone who values serving others in a meaningful way, she is grateful that her position is made possible through STEP Americorps. Americorps membership provides an additional layer of professional development and volunteer work. She is excited to use her skills in the pursuit of goal-oriented service-learning experiences.  

Darian was born on Long Island and moved to Pennsylvania as a child, where she learned to appreciate the natural beauty of the Susquehanna River, and the parks and trails stewarded through the efforts of SGP. She currently resides in the recognized greenway town of Bloomsburg. When she’s not serving with SGP, she enjoys spending time with her chihuahua and walking through the town park down by the river. She loves writing, storytelling, and creating connections with others through the written word.