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46 min ago

Maine Island Trail Association names successor to longtime executive director

Photo / Courtesy, Maine Island Trail Association Ben Dougherty brings over 20 years of experience in outdoor and experiential education to his role at the Maine Island Trail Association.
By Alexis Wells

The Maine Island Trail Association, a member organization dedicated to the stewardship of the state's wild islands, has hired Ben Dougherty as executive director.

Dougherty is only the fourth person to hold that role in the association's 36-year history. He succeeds Doug Welch, who served as executive director for 17 years. Welch announced in February that he would be stepping down this year.

Dougherty brings over 20 years of experience in outdoor recreation and experiential education, beginning with guiding kayak trips in Maine for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School from 2002 to 2004. 

He most recently served as CEO and head of school for the Island School on Eleuthera in the Bahamas.

Previously, he was the head of upper school at the Derryfield School in Manchester, N.H., from 2014 to 2020. 

“I am extremely honored to become MITA’s next executive director,” said Dougherty. “I believe in the transformative power of the outdoors to enhance the lives of all people, and the Maine Island Trail is an outdoor resource like no other.

"I look forward to leading and building on MITA’s continuous work in stewarding and celebrating the Trail and ensuring its accessibility for everyone along the Maine coast.”

The Maine native received his bachelor’s degree in forest ecology and wildlife biology from the University of Montana and holds a master’s from the University of Pennsylvania. 

“Ben’s experience in education, fundraising, and outdoor leadership is extremely compelling, and I can speak for MITA’s entire board of trustees when I say that we are absolutely delighted to welcome him here,” said Rob Nichols, board chair of the Maine Island Trail Association.

"MITA has made so much progress in recent years while staying close to our mission and Ben is without a doubt the right person to lead us into our next chapter."

The Maine Island Trail Association is headquartered in Portland and was founded in 1988. The nonprofit administers the Maine Island Trail, the preeminent water trail in the United States, and works to provide a model of sustainable recreation that encourages volunteer stewardship.

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