Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Liz Thorstensen is an accomplished professional with extensive experience in urban planning and economic development. Currently serving as Vice President of Trail Development at Rails-To-Trails Conservancy since August 2013, Liz leads a multidisciplinary team to advance the TrailNation Program, facilitating the creation of regional trail and active transportation networks across multiple states. Prior to this role, Liz was Vice President at the International Economic Development Council, overseeing knowledge management and empowering the economic development profession. Previous positions include Senior Economic Development Associate at Renaissance Planning Group, Urban and Regional Planner, and various roles in consultancy and teaching. Liz holds an MSc in Local Economic Development from The London School of Economics and Political Science, an MA in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a BS in Geography from the University of Maryland. Additionally, Liz participated in the Mel King Community Fellowship program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology focused on Green Economic Development.
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Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC), we believe that communities are healthier and happier when trail networks are central to their design. Since 1986, RTC has worked to bring the power of trails to more communities across the country, serving as the national voice for the rail-trail movement. With more than one million grassroots supporters, 23,000 miles of rail-trails on the ground nationwide and more than 8,000 miles of rail-trails ready to be built, our focus is on linking these corridors—creating trail networks that connect people and places, bringing transformative benefits to communities all across the country. Our flagship initiatives—TrailLink.com, TrailNation™ and the Great American Rail-Trail™—bring that strategy to life, connecting millions of people by trail. For three decades, RTC has served as the national voice for trails, setting the precedent that rail-trails are need-to-have community assets and establishing policies and practices that ensure these trails are built. Learn how: railstotrails.org.