Changes at npGreenway!

August saw npGreenway saying goodbye to a long time dedicated board member but also saying hello to two new exciting additions.

So Long, Joe. Thanks For All the Fish…

First, let’s thank former board member Joe Adamski for his ten years (!) of service to npGreenway.  We spoke to Joe, and this is what he had to say about his time with npGreenway:

Joe Adamski

When did you get involved with the npGreenway?

Joe: Autumn 2005?… I met Francie Royce when she was doing ‘ten toes walks’ with Portland Parks. I was involved (along with fellow npGreenway board member Pam Arden) at that time with the Smith and Bybee trail alignment study. Francie asked us to attend an npGreenway meeting.  The rest is history.

Why did you get involved?

Joe: I believe in North Portland. At every turn, I see the work of previous generations and enjoy the benefit of their efforts. Legacy is part of the answer, but initially, just having safe connections to bike or walk to and from the stuff of our lives: work, school, shopping, home. The longer my involvement, the greater the benefit I see in this trail and its completion.

What do you feel was your/the organization’s biggest accomplishment during your tenure?

Joe: Not any one thing, but the greatest accomplishment has been the board’s unwavering focus on the many next steps and relationships that need to happen to move the trail forward.

I am most proud of the community coming forward when the Bike Master Plan (BMP) for 2030 was at the Planning Commission, with trails deferred to a 20 year ‘visionary’ status. HUNDREDS of folks came down on  a Tuesday evening to testify and support trails in general, and many were specifically npGreenway folks. Without that support we would not be as far along as we are. The Planning Commission sent it to City Council with a recommendation to pass, provided there was at least ONE signature level trail in the first phase. Council passed the BMP and the North Portland Greenway Trail was the signature level trail best poised to happen. Laying the groundwork was a time consuming, and onerous process. I applaud everyone on the board at any stage for that dedication and keeping those eyes focused.

What are your hopes for the organization?

Joe: I would like to see npGreenway become so successful realizing the “2020 Vision” for trail completion that you all decided the drop the ‘np’ and be just GREENWAY, and take the collective knowledge and experience to create that connected network of human powered paths that provide utility and value to the city for generations to come.

What will your future involvement with the organization be? 

Joe: Helping support volunteer development. Cheerleading. Schlepping folding chairs. Writing newsletter articles. We will see. I am leaving the board, but the group and effort is much greater than the board.  As the board changes form, realizing the work of the redevelopment effort, I hope we see a more engaged volunteer cadre who are willing and able to push this trail into realization.

Thanks Joe.  Sounds like we’ll still be seeing a lot more of you! 

Welcome Aboard, Josh and Michael

We’ll also be seeing a lot of our two new board members – Josh Palmer and Michael Parkhurst.  Let’s learn more about these two:

npGreenway Board member Josh Palmer giving a presentation about new developments on Swan Island.

What is your day job?

Josh Palmer:  I am currently employed at Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) on Swan Island in Portland.  I am the Director for Project Nova, overseeing DTNA’s new headquarters and campus enhancement building project.  I have been at DTNA for some 17 years in various posts in the legal department and have also previously run the company’s compliance and dealer operations group. 

Michael Parkhurst: I’m a Program Officer for the Affordable Housing Initiative at Meyer Memorial Trust.

What inspired you to join the board of the npGreenway?

Josh Palmer:  I am a frequent user of the greenway – both as a runner and more recently as a road biker – and believe that it is one of the unique features in Portland that makes it the great city that it is.  In my current job, I worked on adding a new piece to the Greenway on Swan Island and became aware of the past and current efforts to continue the Greenway through the Albina yard.  I believe that the expansion of the greenway through the Albina yard would be a huge benefit to the City, Swan Islanders and neighboring communities and that possibility has gotten me motivated and excited about participating in the effort to make it a reality.

npGreenway Board member Michael Parkhurst

Michael Parkhurst: I was looking for a way that I could get involved in the community in a more direct way than I can through work, and I always loved the concept of a continuous trail connecting St Johns to the Rose Quarter (and beyond).  As someone who has ridden a bike at rush hour on N Greeley and Interstate, I can really appreciate the need for a more comfortable connection between North Portland and the central city.

What is your vision for the npGreenway/What does the completed trail look like?

Josh Palmer: As many connected pieces of the trail off road as possible.

Michael Parkhurst: One of the exciting things about the project is that it’s more than just a transportation connection – it really gives Portlanders a much-needed way to connect to that stretch of the river.  We wouldn’t have a city here if it weren’t for the working waterfront, but at the same time it’s just sad that so much of the shoreline and nature in the city is currently inaccessible.

Where is your favorite place to ride/walk in Portland?

Josh Palmer: There are very few things that get my batteries charged more than running along the esplanade on a nice summer evening or biking along the river path south of OMSI.

Michael Parkhurst: So hard to pick just one!  I like the big loop around the Peninsula that follows the Slough out to Smith & Bybee Lakes, around to Willamette and back to my house in Overlook.

Thanks, Josh and Michael!  

Join us!

If you are interested in joining Josh, Michael and the rest of the great folks doing the challenging and rewarding work of making the North Portland Greenway Trail a reality, board elections will be held at the November 11th npGreenway meeting.  Head over to our Contact page and send us a note to learn more about joining the board.