Roanoke Park Conservancy (and Friends)

The Roanoke Park Conservancy was founded in 2011 and is a 501(c)3 non-profit. It serves to advocate for completion of the Master Plan by being a liason with the parks department, helping to apply for PIAC funding, seeking donations from neighboring individuals and businesses and applying for grants.

The RPC board has consisted of a core of passionate and interested neighbors and enjoyed the addition of many individuals with particularly valuable expertise. At the end of 2020, Lance Klein stepped into the role of President, joined by Rachel Porter as Vice President.

As of June, 2023 the board consists of:

Lance Klein, President - Lance is a professional landscape architect and keeps the positive experiences of park visitors foremost when collaborating on design of its built improvements. Lance first became involved with the Conservancy through his firm's work on the Karnes Play Experience. He was elected to the board in 2016 and began serving as President in December, 2020. He lives nearby in Coleman Highlands with his spouse and daughter, who all enjoy the unique beauty of this place.

Rachel Porter, Vice President - Along with co-chair of the playground committee Lindsay Severns, Rachel earned her eternal fame by shepherding the fantastically popular Karnes playground into existence with clear vision and steady competence. She was elected to the board in 2016. She served as Treasurer for several years before stepping into the Vice President role in December, 2020. She lives with her family in Coleman Highlands and is attuned to the interests of young families with kids who value urban living.

Lisa Gann, Board Treasurer and Board Secretary - Lisa keeps watch over the woods from the enviable location of her Volker house bordering the park. An artist and art teacher, Lisa joined the board in early 2020, taking over Rachel Porter's role as Treasurer and recently stepping up to (temporarily?) fill the Secretary role as well. Her positive attitude and competence are valuable additions.

Pete Browne, Board Director - Pete served the board for five years as Vice President prior to his serving as President from 2015 through November, 2020. He brings to the board his boundless energy and expertise at getting things done. He is familiar with city and parks department leaders through his day job as President of Kissick Construction. Pete lives in Roanoke with his spouse and three kids and enjoys walking his dog Francis through the park.

Curt Watkins, Board Director - Curt’s vision and passion got the Conservancy started and thriving through his five years as its first president. Before retiring he was principal of Watkins Research and donated the neighborhood survey that informed the creation of the Master Plan in 2011.

Patrick Faltico, Board Director - Elected to the board in 2017, Patrick is a nature enthusiast and a daily user of the park. He lives in Volker and serves as president of the Volker Neighborhood Association as well. He has improved the board's communication with surrounding neighborhoods and has enjoyed contributing to the continued beautification of the park and serving alongside the RPC's distinguished board of directors.

Kelly Thompson, Board Director - Elected to the board in 2018, Kelly brings to it the professional experience of a landscape architect and former landscaping business owner, and the compassion of a neighbor. He lives in Roanoke and tries to visit the park as much as possible. 

Chris DeLong, Board Director and Volunteer Naturalist - Chris has been planting and sowing seeds of native plants in the park since 2011. He oversees efforts aimed at ecological restoration on the slopes of the park as well as maintaining our online presence through roanokeparkkc.org, Facebook and Instagram.

Past board members

Bret Kassen - Bret enjoys time in the park with his young family and spearheaded the 2019 addition of ten bluebird boxes to the park. His passion for creating a home for nature in the park was on display at the 2018 Roanoke Park Takes Flight event. He was elected to the board in 2016 and served through early 2023.
Scott Burnett - Scott served on the board from its inception through 2021. Scott was an early and active “honeysuckle warrior,” helping to cut out invasive species plants from overgrowing the park. Through his 24 years as a Jackson County legislator he represented the 1st District through 2022, including Roanoke Park of course. Despite being "retired," Scott continues to volunteer all over midtown, including in Roanoke Park.
Randy Moore - Randy was the conservancy's first Secretary and held that position for three years. Although he left the board in 2019, he can still often be found working alongside Scott when he isn’t “on deadline” writing analysis of financial markets. He is proud of the many honeysuckle eradication efforts that have revealed hidden rock faces and rock walls.
Kay Johnson - Kay’s legal advice stewarded the RPC into existence. She was a continuous member through 2019 and served terms as Vice President. She has applied her keen intellect to board discussions and sharp editing eye to documents and grant proposals. Within the park she enjoys many hours of playground time with her grandchildren and daily walks with her dog McKenzie.
Glenda Goodman was a founding member serving as board director and lastly, treasurer, before retiring from the board at the end of 2017. The board has attempted to carry on her focus on art, beauty and culture in the park.
Bob Ellis was on the board from 2014 to 2016. The Schoolhouse Point planting was in large part his vision and wouldn't have happened without him. The Volker side of the park was his focus and was improved by many volunteer and hired worker cleanups.

Noted personalities

Brett Shoffner, Scott Lillis, et al - Roanoke Park's trails owe their existence to the hard labor of the trail designers, builders and maintainers who continue to "earn their dirt" in the park.
Kite Singleton provided the germ of the idea in 2010 to join together in benefit of the park and was an early honeysuckle warrior. 
Dona Boley provided early inspiration, knowledge and advice informed by her successes with Gillham, Hyde and Penn Valley Parks. 
Miles Krivena and Dave Foster helped from the beginning, fed crews of volunteers on several occasions and continue to clean up the park. 
Matthew and Jessie Hufft have been key park neighbors, providing meeting space to the board and offering their firm's assistance to the Karnes Play Experience and Grocer's Warehouse planting. 
Lindsay Severns was co-chair of the playground committee along with Rachel Porter and was instrumental in bringing both the south meadow playground replacement and the Karnes playground to fruition. 
Photographers Mary S. Watkins and Frank Messer have documented park events over many years and contributed in numerous other ways.
Amy Winger, chief strategy officer of VML Worldwide and park neighbor, observed that the park's renaissance was “People Powered.” Amy also inspired the commissioning of Gavin Snider's original pen and ink artwork "Roanoke Park in the spring of 2016."

Many others could be named here who have helped in the park or participated in master planning charrettes. To all we say Roanoke Park Thanks You!

 

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