“Kay Ehas is modeling an approach to trail development that seamlessly brings together residents, regional leaders and private investment in partnership. Her leadership is building more than infrastructure. It’s building social capital and civic participation that will make the trail network successful and will endure long after this project is complete,” said Ryan Chao, president of RTC.

Ehas spearheads the work at Groundwork Jacksonville, the city of Jacksonville’s nonprofit partner in developing the Emerald Trail and restoring McCoys Creek and Hogans Creek. The Emerald Trail is a 30-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail and linear park system that will connect 14 historic neighborhoods and downtown Jacksonville to local and regional trails, parks, schools, businesses, transit and other destinations.

The Emerald Trail Master Plan was adopted by the Jacksonville City Council in early 2019 and construction is anticipated to be completed in the next nine years. The LaVilla Link, the first segment of the Emerald Trail, opened in May 2024 and has been foundational in demonstrating the impact that this walking and biking route will have across the region.

“The vision of the Emerald Trail is about more than a trail. We see the trail as a catalyst to neighborhood revitalization and economic development,” said Ehas. “We have already seen major private investment happening—even before the first mile was ever built—and residents’ physical and mental health will improve by encouraging people to connect with nature and with one another.”

The Emerald Trail will deliver a boon to the local economy, promoting neighborhood revitalization, entrepreneurial opportunities and tourism while addressing environmental concerns in the region—all priorities for residents as well as the city. The Emerald Trail includes environmental remediations of contaminated lands and the restoration of both McCoys Creek and Hogans Creek, which are integrated with the trail network. Currently, 70% of residents living within Jacksonville’s urban core are considered low income and rank in the lower third and fourth quartiles for chronic illness.

“The strategy to advance the trail network starts with an important question: As residents, what do we want the Emerald Trail to be?” said Ehas. “We ensure residents have a seat at the table, a voice in shaping what the future of their neighborhood looks like, and a role in bringing that future to life. That’s how we build trust and a stronger, healthier community.”

The trail is included in the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization’s Northeast Florida Regional Multi-Use Trails Master Plan as a connection to the planned Core-2-Coast trail and is part of the 3,000-mile developing East Coast Greenway. Learn more about Ehas’s work and the Emerald Trail at groundworkjacksonville.org.

Since 2011, the Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champions Award has honored individuals from across the country who have made significant contributions to the rail-trail movement through their hard work, volunteerism and support—in short, those who have gone above and beyond in the name of trails. Awardees include volunteers, agency officials, members of Congress and state legislatures, and governors.

The award is named in honor of the late rail-trail philanthropist Jeffrey L. Doppelt. Learn more about the nation’s Rail-Trail Champions: rtc.li/trail-champions.

Rails to Trails Conservancy is the nation’s largest trails organization—with a grassroots community more than 1 million strong—dedicated to building a nation connected by trails, reimagining public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors. Connect with RTC at railstotrails.org and @railstotrails on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The post Kay Ehas Named Nation’s 2025 Trail Champion appeared first on Groundwork Jacksonville.

More than 800 runners, walkers (and rollers in strollers) came out to support Groundwork Jacksonville at the 6^th Annual VyStar Emerald Trail 5K/10K & 1-Mile Fun Run presented by JTC Running.

Young and young at heart enjoyed the scenic route along the Emerald Trail LaVilla Link and S-Line Rail Trail with views the Park Street mural and the Sugar Hill Mosaic, native plants, a Story Walk and restored ponds with living shorelines.

There was plenty of food, activities and giveaways for participants and spectators to enjoy from our wonderful community partners including the Juice Gawdess, and Bearded Brunch Food Truck; free books from the Jacksonville Public Library and Mayor Deegan’s River City Readers Bookmobile; Project One Health’s Less Screen. More Green Challenge; REI; Sierra Club of Northeast Florida; JTC Running; Riverside Avondale Preservation; Civitan Club; JTA; Tom Bush Mazda; Runner’s Elite; Kathy’s Table and Publix.

All participants received a race bag courtesy of VyStar Credit Union and a custom Emerald Trail 5K/10K t-shirt. All finishers earned a custom-designed Emerald Trail medal and the top male and female finishers overall and in several age categories were presented with awards. See the full race results.

Project OneHealth, a new initiative of the Winston Family Foundation, was on hand with the “Less Screen. More Green Challenge” including activities and giveaways to encourage families to reduce their screen time and spend 30 minutes outside every day.

The event coincided with VyStar’s annual “Good is everywhere” celebration Sept. 10-30, 2025, featuring free experiences for members and the public, volunteer opportunities for every VyStar employee and spotlights on community partners like GWJax. Dozens of VyStar employees volunteered and participated in the event.

Thank you to our generous sponsors:

 VyStar Credit Union and JTC Running; Champion Sponsors: Halff, JTA and Project One Health; Medal Sponsors: 1st Place Sports, Swisher International, SCAPE, Miller Electric, Dennis + Ives, and Baptist Health; Pacesetter Sponsors: Tom Bush Family of Dealerships, Gateway Jax, Lewis, Longman & Walker, ruckus, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and Volkert; and Race Day Sponsors: Jacobs, HDR, Meskel & Associates Engineering, Meyer Najem.

View our Flickr Page for lots of photos of race day.

The post 6th Annual Emerald Trail Run the Biggest Yet! appeared first on Groundwork Jacksonville.

“I’m thrilled to see the start of construction on a truly incredible project. When complete, this new cycle track will not only link the Riverwalk to Springfield and Hogans Creek, but it’ll also provide a safe, dedicated downtown path for cyclists and pedestrians. And it’s part of downtown’s growth, an economic driver for the whole city,” said Mayor Deegan.

Elected officials, downtown stakeholders, and the design and construction teams were on hand as dirt was turned commemorating the first phase of construction. As part of the celebration, Kay Ehas recognized VyStar Credit Union for its lead investment of the Hogan Street Link, and ongoing generous support of Groundwork Jacksonville.

“We believe in moving communities forward together,” said VyStar President/CEO Brian Wolfburg. “As a member-owned financial institution, everything we do has our members at the heart of it. That’s why we’ve been proud supporters of the Emerald Trail from the very beginning. We see it as a defining piece of the urban core, connecting neighborhoods, encouraging healthy lifestyles, and bringing new energy to downtown Jacksonville.”

The Emerald Trail will be constructed along the west side of Hogan Street from Water Street north to Union Street connecting Riverfront Plaza, VyStar’s headquarters, City Hall, James Weldon Johnson Park, the JTA Rosa Parks Transit Station and dozens of businesses along the way. Hogan Street will remain one-way heading north from Bay Street, but the western-most lane will be converted to a two-way cycle track, separated from traffic.

The City’s Hogan Street Link project is in partnership with Groundwork Jacksonville. Design and construction is being led by Baker Design Build in collaboration with Halff, transportation engineering firm Peters & Yaffee, electrical and mechanical engineering firm Haddad Engineering Inc., Smith Surveying Group and SCAPE Landscape Architecture.

According to Ehas, “The Emerald Trail is more than a trail—it’s a transformational infrastructure project that promises jobs, economic development, recreation, social connection and environmental resilience. I am delighted that we are taking our next step toward connecting our City like never before.”

The post Groundbreaking of Emerald Trail Hogan Street Link appeared first on Groundwork Jacksonville.

Founded by the Winston Family Foundation, Project One Health works with national experts and community-based partners to support nature programs that provide meaningful outdoor experiences and opportunities for face-to-face social connection, with the goal of reducing screen time.

The grant enables GWJax to create a nature hub along the S-Line at the Northern section of the Emerald Trail, complete with a micro forest, imaginative play area, and outdoor classroom. GWJax is partnering with 2nd Mile Ministries and area schools to get kids off screens and actively experiencing nature along the Emerald Trail.

Joni Alexandre, project manager for GWJax has developed an evidence-based curriculum for the program that aligns with Florida School Standards in hopes the program can be adopted more widely in classrooms.

New learning modules will be introduced weekly about topics like water quality, native birds, tree planting, pollinators, the role of insects, gardening, wildlife safety, team building, healthy eating and mind-body exercises. Youth will have fun with interactive and team activities including nature bingo, litter clean ups, scavenger hunts, journaling, bird watching, water sampling, pickleball, yoga, golf and planting community gardens.

Research shows that kids spend up to 90% of their time indoors and on screens. On average, children spend more than 7 hours a day on screens, but less than 10 minutes in unstructured outdoor play.

This shift is contributing to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and social isolation, especially among teens. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1 in 5 U.S. children ages 3–17 has a mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorder.

Just 20 minutes outdoors can lower stress hormones and help kids feel calmer and more focused. This improves mood, boosts confidence, and supports emotional regulation. “Spending time outdoors has tremendous health benefits and creates a stronger sense of community,” said Kay Ehas, Groundwork Jacksonville CEO and member of the Project One Health Jax Advisory Council. “We are honored to be a founding community partner of this program which closely aligns with our mission to empower children and teens to advocate for the environment while encouraging residents of all ages to experience the Emerald Trail.”

The post GWJax Brings Project One Health to Brentwood appeared first on Groundwork Jacksonville.

We have been informed that unobligated grants, as part of the Federal Highway Administration Neighborhood Access and Equity (NAE) Program, have been permanently rescinded. This includes the celebrated $147M grant for our beloved Emerald Trail. While we are extremely disappointed in this decision, Groundwork Jacksonville, the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) remain committed to ensuring this transformative project becomes a reality for our city and region.

 How Will the Project Move Forward?

Work will move forward on segment 3 in Riverside and segment 4, the S-Line Connector, as both projects are partially funded by the Local Option Gas Tax and private donors. We will continue to collaborate with the City and the JTA to secure funding to complete all five trail segments including 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8, totaling roughly 15 miles of trail.

The anticipated project completion under this grant was 2031. It is unclear right now if this decision will extend the project’s completion timeline. It really all depends on how quickly we can fill this funding gap.

 How Does Losing This Grant Affect Groundwork Jacksonville and Our Neighborhoods?

Losing this grant significantly impacts Groundwork Jacksonville’s short-term organizational capacity. The NAE grant included more than $3.5M for Groundwork Jacksonville over the next six years for project management and community engagement. Obviously, this is a tremendous gap that the organization will need to fill while continuing to raise funds for ongoing trail maintenance and enhancements including activation and public art. However, we do not anticipate any staffing changes at this time.

 How Can You Help?

Please know that your commitment to Groundwork Jacksonville and the Emerald Trail is more important now than ever. Your support keeps the momentum moving and shows City, State and Federal leaders and legislators that the Emerald Trail is a community imperative.

We will keep you informed as we work to keep the Emerald Trail on track. Thank you for your support of Groundwork Jacksonville and the Emerald Trail!

Sincerely,

Kay Ehas, CEO

The post A Message from Kay Ehas About the $147M Grant appeared first on Groundwork Jacksonville.

Everyone enjoyed interactive demonstrations, music, hot dogs from Standard Feed & Seed, prizes, giveaways and more! There was chalk art, yoga, walking tours, tree talks with our Arborist, pollinator plant talks with Success Gardening, a conversation with artist Overstreet Ducasse about the Park Street Mural and a butterfly release that brought young and young at heart together.

This FREE family event was made possible by Baptist Health and the Community Forestry Program of the USDA Forest Service.

Special thanks to all of our partners who joined us:

• The Sierra Club
• REI
• Success Gardening
• Jacksonville Public Library
• Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens
• JTC Running
• Keep Jacksonville Beautiful
• THE PLAYERS Center for Child Health at Wolfson Children’s Hospital
• Wellness Reef Yoga
• Timucuan Parks Foundation
• Standard Feed & Seed
• Honey Dipper House mobile ice cream

Celebrate Trails Day was created by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, to encourage people to get outside and explore local trails.  We were proud to be part of this nationwide celebration on our beloved Emerald Trail! Check out the video

The post Celebrate Trails Day Was Awesome! appeared first on Groundwork Jacksonville.

Led by artist Overstreet Ducasse, in collaboration with artists Grace Bio, Dustin Harewood, and Alexi McMonigle, the mural is a tribute to the past, encapsulating the essence of LaVilla and Brooklyn’s cultural legacy. The mural, which took more than four months to complete, was underwritten by donors Rushton and Charles Callaghan.

Kay Ehas, CEO of Groundwork Jacksonville, emphasized the significance of integrating art into the Emerald Trail. “We envision the Emerald Trail as a 30-mile public art gallery that celebrates the unique history and culture of each neighborhood and engages neighborhood residents in the process,” Ehas said. “As we plan each trail segment we are looking for opportunities to incorporate art in a variety of mediums.”

This is the second major public art installation along the Emerald Trail. In March 2019, Groundwork unveiled the Sugar Hill Mosaic, a five-foot high, 96-foot-long mosaic on the Emerald Trail S-Line Rail Trail, under the I-95 overpass near N. Davis Street. The impressive artwork created by RouxArt, with the help of hundreds of volunteers, honors the history of the Sugar Hill neighborhood.

Learn More and watch the video

The post Park Street Mural Celebrates Neighborhood History appeared first on Groundwork Jacksonville.

On February 24, 2025, representatives from the ten participating clubs presented a ceremonial $100,000 check to Kay Ehas, CEO of Groundwork Jacksonville, representing the final installment of the Rotary partnership’s $250,000 commitment.

During a tour of the Emerald Trail and McCoys Creek, leaders from several clubs presented Groundwork Jacksonville with $50,000 toward the commitment.

The Rotary Clubs’ Partnership kicked off the Emerald Trail campaign in September 2022 and presented the first $50,000 installment to Groundwork Jacksonville in December of that year. An additional $100,000 was contributed in 2024.

The 2.3-mile Riverside Link will be the third Emerald Trail segment to be built and is currently in design with construction to begin in late 2026. The Riverside Link will connect RAM to McCoys Creek and the North Riverside neighborhood. It also will connect the Emerald Trail to the Southbank Riverwalk and San Marco, via the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) shared use path across the Fuller Warren Bridge.

The Rotary Clubs’ Partnership is the presenting sponsor of a half-mile spur of the Riverside Link from the Riverside Arts Market (RAM) to Memorial Park, which was dedicated by the Rotary Club on Christmas Day 1924 to honor those who gave their lives to protect American freedom.

In addition to its connection to Memorial Park, the Rotary Clubs’ Partnership came together to support the Riverside Link because the Emerald Trail aligns with each Rotary focus area: Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution; Disease Prevention and Treatment; Water and Sanitation; Maternal and Child Health; Basic Education and Literacy; Economic and Community Development; and Protecting the Environment.

“Jacksonville’s local Rotary Clubs have a legacy of service and leadership and truly set an example for others to follow in terms of community impact. We are beyond grateful that the local clubs chose to put their efforts behind this project in such an enthusiastic and meaningful way,” said Kay Ehas, CEO of Groundwork Jacksonville.

About the Rotary Clubs of Jacksonville

Rotary International and its worldwide membership of 1.5 million professional and business leaders are dedicated to leadership and community service and is the first service club in the world. For 40 years Rotary has promised to eradicate Polio from our planet and is close: 99% of our world is Polio free with only two countries reporting cases. Learn more at www.rotary.org. To learn more about the 24 Rotary clubs in the Jacksonville area, call 904.626.5029.

The post Rotary Clubs Achieved Goal of $250,000 for Emerald Trail Riverside Link appeared first on Groundwork Jacksonville.

Leana Cianfoni is Groundwork Jacksonville’s new Chief Development Officer, responsible for donor cultivation, and securing private support for programs and operations that advance Groundwork’s mission including on-going enhancements, activation and maintenance of the Emerald Trail.

Leana is a senior fundraising executive with 15 years of experience building revenue sources for nonprofit organizations in support of projects that are transforming communities. Most recently, Leana served as Chief Development Officer for The Underline, a 10-mile, 120-acre linear park and urban ecological corridor in the heart of Miami.

“Groundwork Jacksonville is an organization of action and purpose, and I am inspired by the Emerald Trail’s progress to date,” said Leana Cianfoni. “I look forward to working with donors to support this vital project which will transform the way we live, work, and play in this community.” Leana’s previous experience includes Director of Development for HistoryMiami Museum, Southeast Florida Donor Relations Manager for The Nature Conservancy and Director of Leadership Giving at the Everglades Foundation.

Groundwork Jacksonville also has hired Arlington, TX native Desiree’ “Dee” Powell, for the newly created position of Urban Planner. Dee will work with residents and other stakeholders of several urban core neighborhoods along the planned Emerald Trail to break down the complexities of urban planning. Dee will lead the neighborhood planning process to collaboratively develop strategies that minimize displacement and amplify the trail’s economic, health and recreation benefits.

Dee founded, Do Right By The Streets (DRBTS), which focuses on place keeping as a tool to implement temporary-to-permanent space activation projects to drive economic mobility and community sustainability.

“We are thrilled to have Leana and Dee join our Groundwork team,” said Kay Ehas, Groundwork Jacksonville CEO. “The Emerald Trail is a huge infrastructure and economic development initiative, and we need to ramp up our capacity quickly with experienced professionals who can hit the ground running. Dee and Leana bring tremendous skills and energy to their respective roles.”

The post GWJax Adds Key Staff appeared first on Groundwork Jacksonville.

Pictured from Left: Larry Roberts, JTC Running Board Member; Amiee Cords, JTC Running Treasurer; Doug Tillett, JTC Running President; April Jordan, Groundwork Jacksonville Development & Communications Coordinator; Janet Reagor, Groundwork Jacksonville COO; Dana Karzan, VyStar Credit Union Chief Development Officer; and Patricia McElroy, VyStar Credit Union Senior Vice President, Foundation President

Representatives from VyStar Credit Union joined Board members from JTC Running to present Groundwork Jacksonville with a commemorative check for $88,506 representing the proceeds from the 5^th Annual VyStar Emerald Trail 5K-10K presented by JTC Running.

Last fall more than 800 runners and walkers experienced the Emerald Trail LaVilla Link, the first completed portion of the Emerald Trail which opened in May 2024. More than 100 VyStar employees participated in the Emerald Trail run/walk while a dozen more served as volunteers.

”VyStar Credit Union is proud to support Groundwork Jacksonville and its important work in connecting and revitalizing Jacksonville’s urban core neighborhoods,” said VyStar Chief Marketing Officer, Dana Karzan. “We are committed to making a positive difference in the communities where we live, work and play and our support of Groundwork Jacksonville and the Emerald Trail underscores that promise.”

JTC Running covers all race expenses so that 100% of proceeds from the event benefit Groundwork Jacksonville, the city’s nonprofit partner in building the 30-mile Emerald Trail and restoring McCoys and Hogans creeks.

Other sponsors included Halff, 1st Place Sports, Dennis + Ives, HNTB, Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), Miller Electric, SCAPE Landscape Architecture, Breaking Ground Contracting, Gateway Jax, Lewis, Longman, Walker (LLW), Tom Bush Family of Dealerships, UF Health Jacksonville, Forcura, HDR and Jacobs.

“We are incredibly grateful to VyStar Credit Union, JTC Running, our generous sponsors and all the participants who support this event. The Emerald Trail 5K/10K raises critical funds for Groundwork Jacksonville, while encouraging residents from across the region to come out and experience the Emerald Trail,” said Kay Ehas, Groundwork Jacksonville CEO.

The run capped off VyStar Credit Union’s 2024 Good is everywhere campaign which began Sept. 12, including exciting free experiences highlighting community partners from Florida to Georgia, thousands of donated volunteer hours by VyStar employees, and employee-led Pay-it-Forward contributions throughout Central and North Florida. More than 100 VyStar employees participated in the Emerald Trail run/walk while a dozen more served as volunteers.

For the second year in a row, Terrance Sessoms finished first for the men in the 10K race with a time of 36:32. Loren Morgan topped the female 10K group finishing with a time of 46:12. The 5K overall winners were Marin Bograd with a time of 19:37 for the women, and Matthew Conant finishing at 19:07. See all race results at 1stplacesport.com.

Plans are already underway for the sixth annual event which is planned for Saturday, September 27, 2025. For sponsorship information, please contact April Jordan, April@GroundworkJacksonville.org.

The post 5th Annual VyStar Emerald Trail 5K/10K Raises Nearly $90,000 appeared first on Groundwork Jacksonville.