Meet Kathleen Armstrong

Director of Trail Planning and Community Engagement

Contact: Kathleen@newriverconservancy.org

Kathleen has spent her whole life on the New River- up and down the banks, sunning on big rocks, counting macro invertebrates and soda bottles, floating on the currents, and finding nourishment on the water. Her first experience with the New was very close to the headwaters in Southern Ashe County, before she could even walk. In the subsequent years she has kept a close connection to the New.

Kathleen attended Appalachian State University where she explored the history of the region through academic pursuits in the Arts, Sustainable Development, and Appalachian Studies. Captivated by the complexity and abundance of the Appalachian Mountains, she sought to dedicate her life to the enrichment and enhancement of this very special place. To strengthen her skills and advance her passions, Kathleen joined the North Carolina State University Master of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning program in the Spring of 2017 focusing on the intersection of participatory planning, public space design, and distributed intelligence.

Kathleen moved from North Carolina to the New River Valley (VA) in 2021 to join the team at the New River Valley Regional Commission where she led the New River Water Trail Expansion Project. She also facilitated the New River Watershed Roundtable, helped coordinate the regional ReNew the New clean-up efforts, conducted parks planning, and worked with partners to access environmental and recreational funding.

She is excited to be a part of the New River Conservancy and to serve as Director of Trail Planning and Community Engagement. Kathleen’s role is to collaborate closely with federal, local and state governments, non-profit organizations, and community members to envision a future where all people and our shared environments are nurtured and protected.

A-YO RIVER!! “