Director

Dione Heusel, Executive Director
Dione is a native Alabamian and a University of South Alabama alum. Over the course of her career, Dione has served as Senior Executive, Human Resources for a wide range of for-profit companies across multiple industries. Dione and her husband were both avid runners frequently competing in races. After 20 years living away, Dione and her family returned to Alabama in 2018 making Fairhope their home. She has embraced the active lifestyle in Baldwin County and has made walking the Eastern Shore Trail (EST) a daily must do! Dione’s “why” is to leave a legacy for the next generation who will call Baldwin County home.

Board of Directors

Molly Spain, President
Molly is a native Alabamian and a University of Mobile alum. Her professional background is in fundraising, and she has managed campaigns for several non-profit organizations. Molly is a runner and cyclist and met her now-husband, Keith, while biking the roads of Mobile during college. In addition to her work with Baldwin County Trailblazers (BCT), she and her two young boys are daily walkers with the Walking School Bus Program. Molly joined the Board to help pass on the values of maintaining a healthy lifestyle to the next generation.

Catherine Dorrough, Vice President
Catherine is a native Texan and a Loyola (New Orleans campus) alum. Catherine and her family moved to the Eastern Shore in 2009. She is the owner of Dorrough Creative LLC, a boutique brand development and graphic design company. Catherine’s family loves any excuse to be outdoors, whether hiking, camping, kayaking, or riding bikes. Some of her favorite memories have been made along the Eastern Shore Trail.

Sandra Tormoen, Secretary
Sandy was born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia just outside Washington, DC. Her father served in the United States Airforce and Sandy moved around the country and to Europe and then back to Maxwell Airforce Base in Montgomery during her childhood. She attended the University of Alabama for her undergraduate degree and attended Madison University for graduate school. Her professional experience includes leadership roles in IT, Strategic Planning, HR, Regional Outreach and Community Development. Sandy moved to Fairhope in 2020 and was thrilled to find an active and engaged community. The Trailblazers mission fits with her interests in helping foster a safe and accessible environment so that people of all ages and abilities can be active in their community.

Casey Rodden, Treasurer
Casey is an Alabama native and a Memphis State alum having earned his degree in Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a partner in the firm of Carr Riggs and Ingram, LLC. Casey and his family live near the EST and are able to enjoy the trail regularly. He is inspired by walkers, runners and cyclists, and wants to ensure that pedestrian access to safe trails and roads remains a priority for Baldwin County.

Justin Quinley, Member At Large
Justin grew up in Baldwin County and attended the University of Alabama alum. He works as a geospatial scientist at Anchor QEA where his focus is on geographic data collection, analysis, and visualization for a wide variety of environmental science and natural resource related projects. Justin has a great admiration for the ecological and cultural history of the area. His purpose for being involved with the Trailblazers Board is to promote sustainable and accessible spaces so that others will come to appreciate the Gulf Coast in a similar way.

Ken Niemeyer
Ken is a native Alabamian and attended University of Virginia for his undergraduate degree and University of Alabama where he earned his Juris Doctor. Ken retired from Regions Bank in trust and estate administration and remains involved in several charitable trusts. His primary interest in the Trailblazers is promoting safety education for runners, walkers and bikers who use trails, and programs that encourage walking and litter control.

Beth Rabren
Beth is a native of Alabamian and an Auburn alum. Beth has lived in Baldwin County her entire adult life, working as a teacher and a mental health counselor, mostly with children.  She has enjoyed running, walking and cycling for many years, and has participated in most local race events.  Even before moving to Fairhope in 2017, she used its trails. She was so impressed by the walkability of the area that she was delighted to join the board and help promote the mission. Now retired, Beth looks forward to daily walks or rides in this beautiful place we call home.

Michelle Melton 
Michelle is a native of Newport Beach, California and grew up in Opelika, Alabama. She attended St. Andrews Presbyterian College and Denver Sturm College of Law earning a JD with an emphasis in natural resources and land use. Michelle serves as a City Planner for the City of Fairhope. She has a personal and professional passion for the great outdoors and she and her dog, Lodi, enjoy hiking, kayaking and sailing. You’re likely to see them on the EST.

Elliott Lauderdale 
Elliott is a native of Mitchell Field, New York and is a Cornell University alum. Prior to his retirement, he taught at the University of South Alabama for 20 years, helping non-traditional learners research and design senior capstone projects. Throughout his childhood and as U.S. Airforce airman, Elliott traveled extensively. Elliott moved to the Fairhope to enjoy the quality of life we enjoy. In his leisure time, he rides bikes, swims, reads and he continues to travel.

Virginia ‘Gina’ Littlepage 
Gina is a native Alabamian and attended Birmingham Southern College. She settled in downtown Fairhope in 1999 after having lived in California, Washington D.C., Colorado, and New York City. Gina marvels that in all those places she could bike or walk from home to work. As a realtor with Bellator, Gina is easily able to share the walkability of her community with potential buyers. As a board member, she wants to work to offer that option safely to others here in Baldwin County.

Catherine Quinley
Catherine has lived in Fairhope since the age of 5 and is a University of Massachusetts alum. Her experience in event planning and coordination enables her to lead the Chalk the Trail event. Catherine now works as a Real Estate agent with Roberts Brothers Realty in Fairhope. With the rapid growth in Baldwin County, she is passionate about preserving the natural beauty of our area and promoting ways for citizens to walk, run, bike, and enjoy the outdoors safely.

Frank Stickney 
Frank grew up playing in the woods of Montrose and attended Guilford College. After college, he worked in New York City as a set builder and photo studio manager, transitioning to a career in IT support before moving to Fairhope in 2011. His family shares his love for trail walks, jogging and cycling adventures. Frank’s mother, Carol, is a daily walker on the EST in Montrose.

Charlene Lee, Director of the Walking School Bus
Charlene is a native of Albany, Georgia and a graduate of Auburn University where she earned her undergraduate degree in Health and Recreation. Later, Charlene earned a master’s degree in Sports Psychology from the United States Sports Academy. Charlene is founder, leader, and champion for the Walking School Bus (WSB). Under her care, participation has grown exponentially each year and the WSB is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2023 as the only daily Walking School Bus in the State of Alabama. She also championed building Fairhopers Community Park and was the City of Fairhope Volunteer of the Year in 2017. Charlene enjoys walking, cycling, hiking, reading and kayaking.

PAST PRESIDENTS

1996, Jim Gambill. 1997, Stanley Anderson. 1998, Ben Meisler. 1999-2001, Rufus Bethea. 2002-2003, Julie Bagwell. 2004, Rebecca Byrne. 2005, Richard Horne. 2006-2008, Terry Redfearn. 2009-2010, Walter Ernest. 2011-2013, Mike Henriksen. 2013 – 2014, Valery Wiseman DeLaney Smith. 2015 – 2018, Molly M. Peterson. 2019-2021, Jennifer Vestal. 2021 Jeremy Portillo.