Our Mission
Greenways for Nashville’s mission is to create, preserve, and promote a system of greenways in Nashville and Davidson County. We advocate preservation and protection of natural and cultural areas; development of community recreational opportunities; and acquisition of land for preservation as greenways and parks.
How Does Greenways For Nashville Help?
GfN supports the initiative of the Metro Parks Department and the Greenways Commission, leveraging public and private funds; building trails and enhancements, and preserving land. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1994. To date, GfN has assisted in developing a significant trail footprint of 86 miles, acquiring over 4,266 acres for conservation and protecting 11,000 acres of land. In addition to fundraising, we educate citizens about Nashville’s greenways and provide opportunities for community involvement.
How We Started
Nashville’s greenways initiative began in 1991, when Mayor Phil Bredesen and the Metro Council created the Greenways Commission as a division of Metro Parks to plan and develop a greenway system of trails and open spaces throughout Davidson County. Members of the Commission and Nashville citizens established Greenways for Nashville in 1994 to give the general public a way to support development of the greenways system.
GFN Board of Directors
| Robert Brandt, Trauger & Tuke | Kelly Brockman, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation |
| Berry Brooks, First Farmers and Merchants Bank | Martha Cooper, Community Volunteer |
| Brian Copeland, Village Real Estate | Natasha Deane, Community Volunteer |
| Mark Deutschmann, President, Village Real Estate | Sandra Duncan, Community Volunteer |
| Jim Forkum, Former Metro Council Member | Marie Griffin, Vanderbilt University |
| Jacob Kassinger, Young Leader Intern, Ridgestone Bank | Sharon Kipp, Benchmark Realty |
| Donna Nicely, Community Volunteer | John L. Norris, Norris & Norris PLC |
| Phil Ponder, Former Metro Council Member | Ann Roberts, Community Volunteer |
| Kay Simmons, Community Volunteer | Steve Sirls, Community Volunteer |
| Charles Sueing, Sueing Insurance Agency | Ann Tidwell, Vice-President, Community Volunteer |
| Patricia Totty, Community Volunteer | Pete Wooten, Treasurer, Avenue Bank |
| Jennifer Westerholm, Secretary, Urban Green Lab | Lyndsay Wilkinson, Youth Villages |
Ex Officio
Shain Dennison, Assistant Director
Metro Parks and Recreation
Greenways and Open Space Division
Monique Odom, Interim Director
Metro Parks and Recreation
