Joseph Decosimo – President
Signal Mountain, a quaint town just outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is home not only to the southern terminus of the Cumberland Trail but also to Joseph Decosimo, President of the Friends of the Cumberland Trail. While earning a B.A. in English from UNC Chapel Hill, Joseph spent two summers on the trail working as a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger and helping with the Cumberland Trail Music Heritage Project. Working as a seasonal ranger along the Cumberland Trail fostered in Joseph a deep appreciation for the beauty of the trail, its music, and its people.
Joseph, also nn award-winning oldtime fiddle and banjo player himself, has developed a keen interest in the preservation of the rich musical heritage of the Cumberland Trail. As such, he has dedicated many years to learning the tunes and styles of local musicians along the trail. As President of the Friends, Joseph is working to unite the physical trail with its vast musical and cultural heritage in order to provide a richer experience for all who love the Cumberland Trail.
Del Truitt – Vice President of the Board
Born in Jellico and raised in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, Friends of the Cumberland Trail Vice President Del Truitt is a lifelong Tennessean. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Management from UT-Knoxville in 1967, and later, in 1990, the MBA from Belmont University. As part of the work toward his Master’s degree, Truitt embarked on a special study that considered the potential for privatization of America’s public parks.
In 1970, Truitt joined the the National Life & Accident Insurance Company, at the time the corporate parent of WSM radio and TV in Nashville. There he worked with WSM and National Life on the initial planning and eventual opening of the massive Opryland Theme Park in suburban Nashville. Later in the decade he was named Personnel Director for Opryland Park, the Grand Ole Opry, and the yet-to-open Opryland Hotel.
In addition to his work with WSM and National Life, Truitt was also instrumental in developing the Natural Resource Management curriculum at UT-Martin. Launched in the mid-70s, the program helped educate many of Tennessee’s current park rangers and park managers. In the 1980s, he worked as a Business and Inn Manager and later, in the 1990s, for the UT Institute for Public Service.
Truitt eventually worked for two and half years as Director for State Parks and Assistant Commissioner. In this position, he helped promote the development of the Cumberland Trail, as well as other influential programming and educational projects. Most recently, Truitt has worked with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to develop rural planning organization across the state.
Michael Toomey – Secretary/Treasurer of the Board
Michael Toomey lives in Anderson County, Tennessee and works in Claiborne, County as an Associate Professor at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate. Toomey earned the PhD in History from the University of Tennessee where his work focused on Tennessee’s post-revolutionary, pre-statehood frontier history. He worked for many years as the staff historian at the East Tennessee Historical Society and as the managing editor of the Journal of East Tennessee History.
Toomey has also written several essays, many on John Sevier and the State of Franklin. He has made contributions on these topics to the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture, the History of Washington County, Tennessee, and the North Carolina Project. Toomey’s converstation with Scott Simon, “The State of Franklin,” aired on National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition.
Jaime W. Trotter – Board Member
Jaime W. Trotter love of the Cumberland Trail was born through her experiences as an Seasonal Interpretive Ranger, collecting oral history along the southern end of the trail. A native of Athens, Tennessee, Trotter currently lives in Chattanooga and works as an architectural historian. She holds a BA in History from Middle Tennessee State University and a MA in History from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia.
As an Oral Historian for the Cumberland Trail in 2002 and 2003, Jamie interviewed dozens of long-time residents and recorded valuable and rare information relating to disappearing land-use traditions. Drawing from these experiences, Trotter went on to focuse her own course of study on similar historical topics from the region. She eventually wrote her Master’s thesis on the TVA and living conditions in the Southern mountains between 1933 and 1941. She has joined the Friends of the Cumberland Trail as a way to work toward the preservation of the cultural and natural environment of the Cumberland Mountains.
Most recently, Trotter was honored with an award from the Tennessee Historical Commission for her work to place the McNabb Mine area, in Prentice Cooper State Forest in Marion County, on the Registry of National Historic Places. The wealth documentation she collected on the 19th century mining town eventually supported one of the most most complete projects yet submitted to that the Tennessee Historical Commission.
Andrew Saftel – Board Member
Andrew Saftel was raised in R.I. and did extensive hiking in the White Mountains with his father, who was an early advocate for the Appalachian Trail. Those experiences in the mountains as a youth still bear a considerable influence on his outlook on life. A graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, Saftel has spent much time in Yosemite National Park and the Mountains around Bozeman, Mt. , where he lived for several years. An avid fly -fisherman and gardener, as well as hiker, he enjoys the outdoors immensely. He has been a Tennessee resident for 25 years ,first in Knoxville and for the past 15 years in the Sequatchie Valley., where he lives with his wife, Susan Knowles and maintains an art studio in which he works full-time.
Andrew Saftel’s official website
Chad Wykle – Board Member
Chad Wykle has been involved in protecting the outdoors for public for much of his professional life. He has worked within the Outdoor Industry for eight years, the last five have been as a representative for Chaco. During that time he worked closely with Chaco and regional outdoor retailers to allocate monies to support several non-profit organizations that are dedicated to gaining, maintaining and preserving responsible access to natural resources throughout the southeast. He has directed significant dollars toward the Carolina Climbers’ Coalition, the Southeastern Climber’s Coalition, the Access Fund, Lula Lake Land Trust, the Cumberland Trail Conference, the New River Alliance of Climbers’, and most recently to the Friends of the Cumberland Trail.
Chad is also the co-founder and co-organizer of the Triple Crown Bouldering Series-a collection of three outdoor bouldering competitions that occur each year to raise money for rock climbing access. This climbing series has raised over $75,000 during its seven year history. The event also raises funds each year for local rescue squads. This event has also donated over $6,000 dollars for Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, the series donated $1,500 to the Friends of the Cumberland Trail, and encouraged more than 60 new members to join this non-profit organization in 2008.
Chad has been instrumental in raising both money and awareness for the acquisition of Laurel Knob for the Carolina Climbers’ Coalition. This beautiful granite dome in Western NC was once slated for development, but is now owned by the Carolina Climbers’ Coalition. In addition, the Triple Crown also pays a yearly lease on a wonderful greenspace and boulderfield in eastern NC called Asheboro Boulders….a resource the entire NC climbing community. Through the Triple Crown, Chad also spearheaded the final push to acquire a granite boulderfield and greenspace in Atlanta Ga known as Boat Rock-paying the final $11k to close the note on that property for the Southeastern Climbers’ Coalition (SCC). This area is not only a fantastic resource for climbers and hikers, but it is also frequently used by local school systems for geology and biology seminars.
In 2008, the Triple Crown was once again key, in raising large funds and awareness for the land acquisition by the SCC for an area near Huntsville, AL known as Yellow Bluff. This area is now secure and open to rock climbing and hiking. The Steele Crag is the latest land acquisition project. This beautiful area is located just outside the city of Steele Al., and access to this cliff has been a long-time goal of the southeastern climbing community. Through Chaco and Rock/Creek, Chad recently donated $5,000 earmarked for this effort to the SCC. Though still working in the Outdoor Industry, Chad recently changed his career path-he began working for Rock/Creek Outfitters in May of this year. One of his roles with this company will be to continue developing the strong philanthropic position of Rock/Creek. Each year, Rock/Creek gives generously to many regional non-profit organizations that are dedicated to developing sustainable outdoor recreation opportunities.