Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Mary Ellen Koontz currently serves as the TrailNation™ Collaborative Lead at Rails-To-Trails Conservancy, where responsibilities include overseeing a multidisciplinary peer-learning network focused on regional trail and active transportation networks. Previous roles at Rails-To-Trails Conservancy include Trail Funding Advocacy Manager and Trail Resources Manager, where Mary Ellen managed transportation funding data and led grant programs. Prior experience includes managing the Cleveland Park Farmers Market at District Bridges, ensuring significant growth in market size and vendor success. Mary Ellen has also held positions at Georgetown University Walsh School of Foreign Service, where management included department operations and event execution, as well as roles in research and community outreach. Education includes a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from Georgetown University and a Bachelor’s in Political Science and History from Loyola University Maryland.
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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.