Association News
CAGA President Doug Hill is the retired executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP), a post he held from 1984 to the end of 2019. Prior to that he was director of research and later chief lobbyist for the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.
The CCAP is a non-profit, nonpartisan association representing all of the Commonwealth's 67 counties. In his retirement he was appointed by the state Senate to the Harrisburg Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority which was created in 2018 to help the City manage its fiscal problems. He now serves as chair of that organization’s Board of Directors.
With the County Commissioners Association, Doug started with a staff of six that grew to about 90 during his tenure. The growth was due to expanding the group’s portfolio from merely advocating for Counties before the Legislature and running an occasional conference, to include insurance, education, technology, research and similar services to benefit the people in each of Pennsylvania’s 67 Counties.
In addition to serving on CAGA’s Board, Doug also serves on local, state, and national boards for his church, was recently appointed to his college’s Alumni Council, serves on the maintenance crew for the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club, is a Tree Tender for the City of Harrisburg, and is active in his neighborhood group, the Capitol Area Neighbors.
He initially got involved with the Greenbelt as a user. When he and his wife moved to midtown Harrisburg 20 years ago, he took advantage of living two blocks from Riverfront Park for his daily runs, eventually running around the entire Greenbelt for marathon training saying it was “about the right distance and had varied terrain, including the challenges of the hills out by the Civil War Museum, the Harrisburg State Hospital, and Wildwood.” And, no longer living in a suburban location, he started volunteering for Greenbelt maintenance doing some “pruning, planting, and clean-up which was a perfect substitute for the yardwork” he used to do.
No longer running the entire Greenbelt, he now bikes it. “I enjoy the entirety of the trail. It’s wonderfully relaxing to take in the sights and sounds of nature, river, families, neighborhoods, doggies, and streams. I used to be able to run the whole thing but now do more out-and-back if I’m running. I’ll take the bike when I’m doing the whole thing. A special treat is a bike ride from our midtown Harrisburg home up to Fort Hunter, carrying a lunch and taking it in on one of the swings overlooking the river.”
What he especially likes about the Greenbelt is “how it touches all the neighborhoods. It’s accessible to everyone in Harrisburg, and offers opportunities to connect with the City and with each other.”
For those who never tried the Greenbelt he says, “Get out there and find time to explore. You’ll see friends and neighbors, you’ll see the green spaces and waterscapes that surround the City, you’ll understand the City in a whole new way. And by all means, when out-of-town family and friends visit, take them out so they can see what makes your home so special.”
A native of western Pennsylvania, growing up just south of Pittsburgh, Doug earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Westminster College (PA) and a Masters in Public Administration from Penn State - Harrisburg. He is married with three adult children. Diversions include distance running, biking, hiking and backpacking, home remodeling, cooking, travel, and antique cars.
Mike Shaull, who preceded Doug as CAGA’s President, says the organization is fortunate to have him. “He came to us at a time when we were facing great challenges. His experience in working with city, county, and state leaders, and his vast knowledge of the workings of all levels of government, better positioned us to deal with every challenge we’ve faced. His expertise and devotion to maintaining the Greenbelt as one of our region’s greatest community assets, has proved inestimable to our efforts.”
Doug is now in the last year of his three-year term as CAGA’s president.
Shaull isn’t alone in his appreciation of Doug. Among the many honors he’s received in his life, there’s one he says is most important to him. “One I particularly cherish is the Order of Democracy from the National Association of Secretaries of State, awarded based on my work helping Pennsylvania develop the laws, rules, and training needed to implement the National Voter Registration Act and related election reforms.”
When asked about what he thinks is important for people to know about him and the Greenbelt, he modestly replies, “It’s been a true privilege to serve in the leadership of the Capital Area Greenbelt Association. We don’t own or control any part of the trail – it’s all City and several of our neighboring municipalities plus a few parcels of private land we use with permission. But the amazing team at CAGA, all volunteers, has such a strong sense of commitment and pride in undertaking the many tasks that make the Greenbelt truly special, they have such a joy in sharing it with our community. Their reward and mine is seeing the walkers, runners, cycles, strollers, pets, running children, and the many, many smiles.”
