Our Volunteers
Over the last 10 years, our crew has grown to 40 strong. Coming together from several states and all walks of life, we pride ourselves in the companionship that is at the core of our organization. We require a lot out of our volunteers, but by requiring commitment and training to join, we find our crew is happier, safer and more efficient. Communication becomes easier. We share more stories. We laugh more often.
Board of Directors
David Chase
Treasurer
David Chase has always been an avid hiker: "My 19th birthday was atop Springer Mt, Georgia – the start of the Appalachian Trail." In 2010, he noticed an article about the Bear Mt. Project (a reroute of the AT with a thousand stone steps). They were looking for volunteers to learn the skill of stone trail building - so he signed up. The following year the Jolly Rovers came into existence, and David became a founding member. Over the years he has served as a Team Lead and currently as a Crew Lead. When he's not swing a stone buster, he's selling houses in NW Bergen County, NJ.
Alicia Mendelkow
Member
Alicia Mendelkow is Chief of Staff for the Social Impact Fund in New York, New York - a firm focused on investing in the circular economy. She got involved in trail work in 2012, through her then employer, Recycle Bank, which encouraged employees to volunteer four days per year. Alicia attended the NY-NJ Trail Conference’s Trail University on Bear Mountain, where she met several founding Rovers, and eagerly committed to the rigorous volunteering schedule the Rovers require. By 2014, she was a crew leader, and she has been leading projects ever since. She joined the Board in June 2020.
Emily Hague
Member
Emily Hague grew up in the woods of New Hampshire and has worked the field of land conservation for 15 years. She is currently working to protect some of the Hudson Valley's most important places as Assistant Director of Land Conservation for Scenic Hudson. Emily has served on numerous boards as well as the Keene NH City Council. Emily trained with the SCA in 2012 and began working with the Jolly Rovers through her coordinating role as a project host site in 2013. She officially joined the crew in 2016 and has been volunteering ever since.
Matt Decker
Chair
Matt Decker joined the Jolly Rovers as a crew member in 2013 and as a board member in 2018. He loves to hike and run and he has always appreciated the vision, time and skill that it takes to build trails. Matt is a Land Project Manager at the Open Space Institute and he has previously worked with the Orange County and Hudson Highlands Land Trusts and Trust for Public Land. He holds degrees from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.