About Wilderness Louisville
Wilderness Louisville, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 with a mission to be champions for Louisville’s natural areas, from Jefferson Memorial Forest, the nation’s largest municipally-owned urban forest, to the ones in your neighborhood. We work in partnership with the Louisville Metro Government’s Department of Parks and Recreation to promote the development, stewardship and community awareness of these important public spaces.
Mission Statement
We are champions for Louisville’s natural areas from Jefferson Memorial Forest, the nation’s largest city-owned urban forest, to the ones in your neighborhood.
Meet our Board
Andy Reynolds
Chair
Public Sector Representative, Waste Management
Vicki Welch
Vice-Chair
Retired, Louisville Metro Government
Charlotte Caldwell
Treasurer
Office Administrator, Kentucky Waterways Alliance
Patricia Tennen
Secretary
Chief Office of Strategic Initiatives, KY Youth Advocates
Tom Armstrong
Member
Retired, Kentucky State Government
Kendall Boyd
Member
Chief Equity Officer, Louisville Metro Government
Krista Drescher-Burke
Member
Program Evaluator, Jefferson County Public Schools
Chuck Haddaway
Member
Athletics Director, Portland Christian School
Johnique Ison
Member
Neighborhood Liaison, Center for Neighborhoods
JoAnn James
Member
Education Administrator
Jenny Johnston
Member
Business Development Manager, PRG Commercial Property Advisers
Lynn Rippy
Member
Executive Director, YouthBuild Louisville
Randal Strobo
Member
Attorney, Strobo Barkley PLLC
Erin Wagoner
Member
Environmental Partnerships Liaison, MSD
Bennett Knox
Executive Director
Parks Administrator, Jefferson Memorial Forest
Dana Kasler
Ex-Officio
Director, Louisville Parks and Recreation
What We’ve Done
Wilderness Louisville is proud to say that in 2019 we were able to provide nearly 5,000 youth with critical connections to nature. All while helping the Jefferson Memorial Forest maintain 47 miles of soft-surface trails and continuing our plans to advance connectivity between Jefferson Memorial Forest and the greater Louisville Metro Area. To learn more about our 2019 accomplishments and progress click the link below to view our 2019 annual report.