Keith Laughlin is the president of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), the nation’s largest trails organization with more than 100,000 members and supporters. With an extensive network of partners in the recreation, health promotion, transportation and conservation communities, RTC works to create a national environment that promotes, protects and facilitates the conversion of former railroad rights-of-way into public access trails throughout the country. Today, with more than 11,500 miles of open rail-trails, RTC is helping hundreds of U.S. communities connect distinct trails into regional trail networks supported by all levels of government and informed and involved grassroots communities.  

Laughlin joined RTC in February 2001 and has guided the organization’s effort to become a national leader in the trails and greenways movement.  In addition to leading an organization with six field offices and a staff of about 50, Laughlin regularly testifies before Congress on important trail-related issues, develops RTC partnerships, campaigns and programmatic direction and spearheads RTC’s effort to ensure a meaningful renewal of the Transportation Enhancements program, scheduled for reauthorization in 2003.

Laughlin’s career has been based in Washington, D.C. and focused on a variety of issues, most notably environmental conservation and livable communities.  Prior to joining RTC Laughlin was the associate director for sustainable development on the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality. Appointed in 1993, he directed the interagency team that developed the Clinton administration’s wetlands reform policy, one of the earliest efforts to demonstrate that economic and environmental goals need not be in conflict and, in fact, were often in harmony.

From 1996 to 2000, Laughlin focused exclusively on issues related to the burgeoning “smart growth” development and planning movement as well as community livability as a whole.  He became chair of the White House Task Force on Livable Communities in 1999, and was the primary author of the administration’s Building Livable Communities report released in 2000.  

Laughlin’s move into the nonprofit trails sector reflects his strongly held belief that a nationwide network or interconnecting trails can provide countless valuable community benefits, including low- or no-cost recreation and alternative commuting options for people of all ages and abilities throughout the country.

A resident of Washington, D.C., Laughlin is married and has two children.

Tonya Myers Phillips is an attorney with a passion for using her legal talent to improve her community.  She currently works with Michigan Legal Services as a foreclosure defense attorney representing homeowners and tenants in danger of losing their homes.   

Prior to joining Michigan Legal Services, Ms Phillips was in private practice representing small business owners, nonprofit organizations, and individuals including institutions such as ShoreBank Enterprise, the Detroit Association of Black Organizations, and the former Detroit Entrepreneurship Institute. Ms. Phillips regularly participates in seminars and panels to share her expertise with the community.  She teaches a “How to Become a Nonprofit” mini-course with the Detroit Association of Black Organizations.

Ms. Phillips has experience working in municipal law, and with the Charter in particular.  She worked with the Detroit City Council and its Special Counsel William Goodman to analyze and interpret the Council's removal and forfeiture powers under the Detroit City Charter.  Ms. Phillips also worked with the Guild Law Center and the Detroit City Council to strengthen the investigatory and enforcement provisions of the Detroit Living Wage Ordinance which mandates workers be paid a "living wage" for their services on high-value city contracts.

Tonya Phillips was born and raised in Detroit , Michigan.  Ms. Phillips attended Detroit Public Schools and graduated with honors from Renaissance High School.  Ms. Phillips received her bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Michigan.  She also went on to attend and receive her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School.  Ms. Phillips was honored with the Distinguished Young Lawyer Award in 2006 from the Wolverine Bar Association.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for DWEJ, Ms. Phillips also serves as a board member for the Village Gardeners and People Actively Taking Chance to Help Educate Society (P.A.T.C.H.E.S). Ms. Phillips also works with the Save Our Spirit Coalition to advocate for maximum block grant funding community organizations.  Ms. Phillips was also recently appointed to serve on the Detroit Charter Commission to revise the City of Detroit Charter.

Carey Stanton is Senior Director for Education and Integrated marketing at National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Carey oversees the development of national partnerships, campaigns, media and film projects and is responsible for extensive fundraising to enhance NWF's mission-driven work. She has 15 years of experience designing and implementing social action and award-winning curricula and training programs for NWF and state agencies. For example, Carey was the principal curriculum developer, advisor and faculty for the launch of the Honorable Al Gore's Climate Project in the United States and Australia, which trained more than 1,000 volunteers to give his presentation, the basis for An Inconvenient Truth, to over two million people.

Carey has developed partnerships within the entertainment industry to advance NWF's conservation mission, including Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Walden Media, Participant Media, Roadside Attractions, PBS, Disney and Discovery. She oversees the creation of social action, community events, curricula and media campaigns in conjunction with films: HOOT, Narnia: Prince Caspian, An Inconvenient Truth, Nim's Island, An ARctic Tale, Battle for Terra, Shorts, Where the Wild Things Are, Furry Vengeance, Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, Yogi Bear, and (2011) Born to be Wild, Happy Feet 2, and Dolphin Tale. She also writes and produces featurettes and public service announcements to engage a wider range of constituents through social media, most recently a series of award-winning PSAs for NWF's Campus Chill Out! Competition which aired on Discovery's Planet Green and Go Green Tube and the Chill Out! award webcast that was nominated for an Imagen Award as "Best National Informational Programming" for the positive portrayal of Latinos and Latino culture in the entertainment industry. 

Carey has been recognized for her role in the creation of NWF's model leadership development program for urban and minority youth, Earth Tomorrow, by the US Environmental Protection Agency and US Forest Service, and honored for curriculum developmetn by the Association of Education Publishers for The Cost of COol. She guest lectures for universities and commmunity colleges on environmental education and human dimensions and presents at international national and regional conferences. Carey has been featured and written articles in many local and national publications, including Nature magazine, Chronicle of Philanthropy, USA Today, the San Francisco Chronicle, and National Wildlife magazine. She has appeared on National Public Radio and several video projects for NWF and partners. Carey has held various BOD and advisory positions including President, Michigan Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, Climate Counts and Green Community Schools. 

Carey holds a M.S. in Human Dimensions of Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Michigan State University, and a B.S. in Animal Science and Speech Communications from the University of Tennessee. She lives in Austin, Texas, where her favorite thing to do is spend time with ehr daughter Caroline - preferably outdoors.

Kinnus R. Paul grew up on the Westside of Detroit, MI, were he spent many of days playing all types of sports, anything from hockey to volleyball.  He attended Northwestern High School in Detroit and earned a full scholarship to Western Kentucky University, where he earned his Bachelor degree in Business in spring of 2004.  Kinnus is also a graduate of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice Green Jobs Training Program, where he earned certificates in Hazwoper, Lead Abatement, Asbestos Removal, Mold Remediation, CPR, First Aid and AED, OSHA 10 workplace card, construction and phase 1 and 2 site assessments.  Kinnus joined DWEJ's staff in late August of 2008 as a Job Developer on a part time contract.  Kinnus was hired into DWEJ full time in November of 2008 as a Job Developer.   Now Kinnus assist in the day to day activities of the current training class and he also teaches Job Readiness.