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
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.
Our Foundation Values
IMPACTFUL
COMMUNITY-BASED
INCLUSIVE
ERT for ALL
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.
Established in 2016, the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that leads the master planning, fundraising, and activation of the Elizabeth River Trail. The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors, supported by dedicated committees, and led by an Executive Director and professional staff who work alongside community partners, volunteers, and trail supporters to advance the Foundation’s mission.
Our Committment to Anti-Racism
The Elizabeth River Trail is for everyone and should not just appear anti-racist, but BE anti-racist.
Objective:
- Increase recruitment and retention of racially minoritized staff, volunteers, committee members, board members and primarily trail users.
- Increased confidence and trust from racially minoritized trail users and overall increased resilience as a community.
- Increased understanding and awareness of racism and the racial inequalities it causes.
- Increased understanding of the diversity in the outdoor community in terms of access, ethnicities and languages represented.
- More confidence in tackling racial inequalities and incidents in community building and outdoor settings.
- Eliminating unlawful racial discrimination, promoting equality of opportunity and fostering good race relations.
- Demonstrating commitment to an anti-racism culture in a trail setting will contribute to better wellbeing and mental health for racially minoritized neighborhoods near the Elizabeth River Trail.
Purpose:
This policy will be a continuous process of learning and improvement working with our ERT FOR ALL committee and outside experts to assist our Foundation particularly in our community outreach with trail adjacent neighborhoods.
We will continue our robust efforts of self-identification surveys at events and evaluate quarterly if we are reaching more first time trail users, “off trail” zip codes, and growing our demographic reach. This includes age, race and ethnicity.
Following statutory purposes like the Equality Act 2010 and 2024 and the ADA Act of 2008 this policy will impact mental health, wellbeing, personal, social and economic outcomes and achievements.
This policy was drafted in part in consultation with our DEI committee, an expert in Inclusive Excellence with guidance from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation.
This policy will be part of annual staff and board training.
Our Team
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.”
I am honored to join the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation and am excited to deepen community connections, amplify the Foundation’s mission, and help to cultivate a public space where everyone feels welcome.
A longtime Hampton Roads resident and award-winning strategic leader, Kaycee J. McCoy brings nearly 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, operations, entrepreneurship, and mission-focused leadership to the Assistant Director role. Throughout her career, she has played a key role in bringing hundreds of events, collaborations, and community initiatives to life. Her work reflects a deep commitment to community-centric storytelling, strengthening volunteer engagement, and driving positive community impact. “This is an incredibly meaningful opportunity to support local growth, connect neighborhoods throughout the region, and steward a public space that brings people together.” As Assistant Director, McCoy will focus on expanding the Foundation’s reach, fostering strategic partnerships, and supporting efforts that ensure the Elizabeth River Trail remains a vibrant, inclusive, and welcoming space for all.
I believe that everyone needs a sense of civic belonging and connection to their home. The Elizabeth River Trail provides a vital, welcoming means of connecting with others and the natural world.
Austin Lindhorst received his Bachelor of Science degree in recreation management, with a minor in sustainable business, from Appalachian State University where he concentrated his studies in outdoor experiential education. He has worked for the U.S. National Park Service as an interpretation park ranger and education technician, providing hands-on educational experiences for two large national parks across the country, including Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and has additionally served as an educational instructor for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources with the North Carolina Aquariums.
I really feel lucky to call Norfolk home and the trail is a big reason for that.
Brittany Sherrod comes to the ERT Foundation with an unmatched enthusiasm for public transportation and the outdoors. A daily trail user and commuter, she brings experience from her time as an educator at Historic Queens County Farm in New York, to her community outreach in Norfolk. She is passionate about sustainable edible gardens and fighting against food apartheid. Brittany has rarely met a stranger and as Outreach Coordinator she will work to further the ERTF’s mission for access, equity and an ERT for ALL. “I am so excited to encourage EVERYONE to enjoy the green and blue spaces that are so easy to access by way of the Elizabeth River Trail.“
I’m SUPER excited to give back to something that has given me so much, cycling, via Spinclusion. He gets to share his love of cycling and the region with those that have mobility issues.
Aaron Bull is a long time resident of Hampton Roads after his family was moved here, like many, by the military. He attended Virginia Beach schools and Virginia Wesleyan College. He’s worked in TV, film, and his longest run has been working on the Internet for quite some time. He’s been a business entrepreneur and marketing professional for most of his career. Beyond his adventures in both he’s also served on many boards and advocated for safe recreation around Hampton Roads and Virginia with a focus on cycling. He served as Vice President in the Tidewater Bicycle Association, the City of Chesapeake’s Bicycle/Trails Advisory Committee (BTAC), Virginia Bicycle Federation, Bike Norfolk, Chesapeake Cycling Club and many other cycling advocacy groups around Hampton Roads. Some people joke that he was born with a bicycle. His mom insists he wasn’t. However, he was the kid that took off his own training wheels, took them into his dad and told him he was done with them! So YES! He’s a *bit* into cycling!