Event Info

Thursday, December 4
8:00 am-3:30 pm
Charles Mack Citizen Center
215 North Main Street | Mooresville, NC

Trail Forum is the Carolina Thread Trail’s annual day-long educational event that convenes over 250 industry professionals and citizen leaders with a common mission of advancing trails in our region and beyond.

This year is the 18th annual Trail Forum, which remains the largest recurring trail conference in the Carolinas. Attendees learn about current issues, foster peer-to-peer relationships, and collaborate on the opportunities and challenges of developing a trail network. Participants can choose from a diversified menu of educational sessions throughout the day.

Once again we plan to offer continuing education credits for members of AICP, NC Landscape Architects, National Park and Rec Association, and Professional Engineers (select sessions).

Agenda

8:00 – 9:00   Check-in

8:30 – 9:00   Optional Networking in Lowrance Room

9:00 – 9:45   Welcome – Lowrance Room

• Janet Hanson, Chair of the Board, Carolina Thread Trail/Catawba Lands Conservancy
• Presenting Sponsor Remarks – Beth Poovey, PLA, ASLA, Principal, LandDesign
• Advancing the Carolina Thread Trail in 2025 – Bret Baronak, Director, Carolina Thread Trail

9:45 – 10:00             Break

10:00 – 11:00           Concurrent Session #1

• The Textile Crescent: From Idea to Funding – An Example of Making a Project Truly Shovel-Ready Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace Praxis – Merchant Room

Sam Davis, Project Manager, Upstate Greenways and Trails Alliance (UGATA)

• Trail Surfacing – Cedar Room

Matt Malone, Principal & Chief Encouragement Officer, Nature Trails

• Engaging the Untapped Community of “Not-Your-Typical” Hikers for the Benefit of Trails – Peddler Room

Whitney Harris Wallace, Author & Trail Advocate

11:00 – 11:15           Break

11:15 – 12:15           Concurrent Session #2

• The Saluda Grade Trail: Connecting the SC Upstate to the NC Mountains along 31 Miles of Scenic Rail Trail – Merchant Room

Kristin Cozza, Trails and Greenways Manager, Conserving Carolina
Teresa Buckwalter, RLA, Senior Landscape Architect, McAdams

• To Boardwalk of Not? Design Challenges within Environmentally Sensitive Areas – Cedar Room

Juan Morales, PE, Program Manager & Civil Engineering Lead, Pond & Company

Alex Darr, Principal and Discipline Director of Environmental Services, Pond & Company

Jason V. Philbin, PE, M.ASCE, President, PermaTrak North America

• The Ups and Downs of Trail Development – Peddler Room

Frank Maguire, Principal, Small Mountain Trails

12:15 – 2:00 Lunch and Keynote – Lowrance Room

• Presentation of Awards and Recognitions
• Keynote: Lessons from Listening on the Trail

Susan Trautman, Former CEO, Great Rivers Greenway

2:00 – 2:15   Break

2:15 – 3:15   Concurrent Session #3

• Building Beyond the Trail: Lessons in Trail-Side Destinations & Amenities in Spartanburg County, SC – Merchant Room

Leith McLeod, Trails Project Manager, Play, Advocate, Live Well (PAL)

• Pathways to Partnership: Key Lessons from Collaborative Trail Projects – Cedar Room

Roberta Moore, Senior Field Representative, Southeast Region, The Conservation Fund

Amanda Byrum, Senior Field Representative, North Carolina, The Conservation Fund

• Moving the Needle through Public Engagement – Peddler Room

Carol Hoover, Chair, Winston-Salem Bicycle/Pedestrian/Active Mobility Advisory Committee

Hunter Staszak, Administrator, Winston-Salem Area Transportation Planning Organization

Palmer McIntyre, Director, Great Trails State Coalition

3:15 – 3:30   Closing and Raffle

2025 Trail Forum Lunch Keynote

“Lessons from Listening on the Trail”, Susan Trautman

Susan K. Trautman has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Great Rivers Greenway since 2010, and has been instrumental in advancing a vision of improving the St. Louis region to be a more vibrant place to live, work and play by developing a network of greenways to explore and enjoy. During her tenure, working with more than 200 partners, Great Rivers Greenway doubled their number of miles of greenway trail (from 68 to 135) as well as added several destination park projects. Trautman was a key champion in the 6-agency public-private partnership to plan and implement the CityArchRiver project, reimagining of the Gateway Arch National Park and surrounding areas, including a second tax levy for parks and greenways. She led the organization through tremendous growth, including securing $110 million to date from federal or state grants and developing a 501(c)3 nonprofit Foundation to solicit and steward private donations to the same cause, collecting more than $50 million to date, ensuring that residents’ tax contributions are used to their maximum potential.

Project highlights include public-private partnerships Trojan Park and Chain of Rocks Park, along the St. Vincent and Mississippi Greenways, respectively. The agency’s latest ambitious project is Brickline Greenway, a bold vision to connect 14 city neighborhoods and four anchor parks with 10 miles of greenway, infused with public art, trees and plants, and inclusive economic development.

Exhibitors

Arete

Benesch

Daniel Stowe Conservancy

Dewberry

Great Trails State Coalition

Permatrak

Pond

Withers Ravenel

Sponsor

Become an event sponsor or exhibitor this year! As the premier annual trail conference across the Carolinas, Trail Forum puts your organization in front of 250+ of the key decision makers in planning, design, park and recreation, and local government. Attendees come from across North and South Carolina.

In addition to recognition, all sponsors receive exhibitor space in the main hall. Space is limited so reserve your spot today!

SPONSORSHIP PACKAGE

Please contact Alesia DiCosola for additional information.

Parking