Mission Statement
The Elizabeth River Trail Foundation plans, programs, and advocates for the Elizabeth River Trail connecting Naval Station Norfolk to the Virginia Beach Trail.
Vision Statement
The Elizabeth River Trail Foundation will be a global model of waterfront trail resilience and education that supports connected communities, inclusive infrastructure, and economic development as part of a regional trail system.
Equity Statement
Something FOR Everyone. The Elizabeth River Trail Foundation believes that access to trails and open spaces are a fundamental right for all. The ERT has the power to connect communities and provide public access to our working waterfront.
The ERTF seeks to provide access and amenities to people along the Trail to meet the specific needs of each community. Inequities exist in the built environment, and it is our responsibility to bring equity in every trail section, trailhead, and amenity.
The ERTF commits to cultivating an inclusive and welcoming culture among its staff, volunteers, board members, community partners, and program participants. We approach this work with respect, openness, and a willingness to learn and adapt.
Formed in 2016, the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation is responsible for master planning, fundraising and activating the trail. The Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization managed by a Board of Directors, several committees, an Executive Director and one staff.
Board of Directors
ex-officio
Committees
- DEI
- Events
- Fundraising
- Marketing
- Master Planning
our Staff
Growing the Trail into a resource that is seen as infrastructure as well as outdoor recreation is at the core of our mission and making the ERT inclusive and accessible to the whole region is what drives me every day.
Kindra McDonald Greene is the Foundation’s second Executive Director, starting in 2021. She has been a resident of Norfolk for over 20 years and the ERT has always been the first place she brings people to show off her city. A conservationist and outdoor enthusiast, she has hiked all of Virginia’s State Parks. Greene has a background in nonprofit management, personnel security and higher education. She has a BA in Liberal Studies from Virginia Wesleyan University and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte. She spent two years serving in the Virginia Service and Conservation Corps through AmeriCorps as a Park Interpreter and Natural Resource Ranger. She has a passion for community building, green infrastructure and attracting and retaining talent in the region she loves. Greene is a Certified Interpretive Guide, a member of the Urban Land Institute of Virginia and a Tidewater Master Naturalist. “The success of the ERT is the success of Norfolk and our whole community. Growing the Trail into a resource that is seen as infrastructure as well as outdoor recreation is at the core of our mission and making the ERT inclusive and accessible to the whole region is what drives me every day.”
The trail was how I first got to know my new community, meet people, and get involved. I have loved seeing it grow and the many ways people use it.
Morgan Willett joined the Foundation in 2022 after serving on the Events Committee for four years and as a regular volunteer. She received her Bachelor’s in Leadership and Graduate Certificate in Public Administration from Old Dominion University and serves as the Co-Chair for Friends of Norfolk’s Environment. She has a passion for Environmental Stewardship and made an impact on the community in her role as the Public Services Coordinator with Keep Norfolk Beautiful. Morgan continues to use her passion for the environment and volunteerism in her role to coordinate trail beautification events and projects that keep the trail an inviting space for all to enjoy. She’s lived in Norfolk for over 7 years and has spent a lot of time enjoying and getting her hands dirty on the trail. “The trail was how I first got to know my new community, meet people, and get involved. I have loved seeing it grow and the many ways people use it.”
It is truly an honor to join a team that values people and the wider community first while striving to make Norfolk a better place.
Ty Champion joined the ERT staff in 2025 as the first Outreach Coordinator, marking an important milestone in the Foundation’s history. Champion was born in Norfolk and is an alumnus of Lake Taylor High School and a graduate of Hampton University with a degree in Architecture. From a young age, he has held environmental stewardship in high regard with a passion for sustainability, coastal resilience, and the reuse of materials for new work. Champion maintains an active involvement in several community and civic organizations, such as NAACP, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, and the National Hampton Alumni Association. “As a lifelong Norfolk resident, the Elizabeth River has been a constant force for almost my entire life. Growing up in the Villa Heights neighborhood along the Lafayette Branch, to my middle school field trip to Nauticus, and even experiencing the waterfront as an adult with visits to Waterside and the Armed Forces Memorial, it is truly an honor to join a team that values people and the wider community first, while striving to make Norfolk a better place.”