GROUNDWORK USA
 Funded by the National Park
Service (NPS) and the
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)
 A national organization with local
roots, engaging local businesses,
residents and government officials
to revitalize neighborhoods and
transform community liabilities into
community assets
 Transform blighted communities for
the long term, working hand-in-hand
with our network of 20 local Trusts
based in small “legacy” cities, in
underserved neighborhoods within
larger cities, and in rural
communities
WHAT IS A GROUNDWORK TRUST
 Groundwork Trusts are 501c3 nonprofit entities established by local
stakeholders in communities struggling with environmental, economic
and social decline.
 The term “Trust” as used in reference to a Groundwork entity originated
in the United Kingdom; in British common law, a not -for-profit charity is
referred to as a “Trust”.
 Groundwork Trusts in the US act as trusted intermediaries between
local government and neighborhood resident
 The word “trust”: the trait of believing in the reliability and
honesty of others.
GROUNDWORK JACKSONVILLE
 Groundwork Jacksonville Steering
Committee formed in 2013
 Groundwork Jacksonville application
submitted by the City of Jacksonville
in 2013
 Site visit conducted by NPS in late 2013
 Feasibility study conducted in early
2014
 Jacksonville (and Atlanta) awarded the
first Trust designation in the South in
late 2014
 On boarding of Board of Directors, FT
Program Coordinator and CEO in
February 2015
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
James Richardson, Chair
City of Jacksonville
Environmental Protection
Board Administrator
Marc Hudson, Vice Chair
North Florida Land Trust
Real Estate Acquisition,
Restoration & Conservation
Specialist
Kristina Nelson, J.D.,
Secretary
Finger, Nelson & Maguire
Environmental Law
Ken Paulk, CPA., Treasurer
Maige, Paulk & Assocs., P.A.
Historic Springfield Resident
Laura Byres
FSCJ
Landscape Designer
Darcel Fisher Harris
Member of CPAC
Eastside Resident
Ken Covinngton
First Baptist Church of Oakland
Deacon
Reggie Lott
Kevin White, ASLA
Operation New Hope
FLAGG Design Studio
EPIC Communities Manager Landscape Architect
Master Gardener,
Gene Montgomery
Horticulturalist
LISC
Senior Program Officer
Wynetta Wright
Eastside Environmental Council
Dave Roman
Eastside Resident
Mayor’s Office
Senior Policy Advisor
Sherry English
JEA
Community Engagement
Jeff Foster
City of Jacksonville
Public Works and Brownfield
Redevelopment Specialist
JoAnn Tredennick
SPAR Council
Historic Springfield Resident
FIRST 5 YEARS
FIRST 6
MONTHS
OUT OF THE
GATE
FIRST 24
MONTHS
FIRST 5
YEARS
INFRASTRUCTURE &
OPERATION
FOCUSED
SHORT-TERM
VISION
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
& IMPLEMENTATION
•
•
•
•
•
LONG-TERM
VISION
FIRST 48
MONTHS
•
•
•
GROWTH & SUSTAINABILITY FOCUSED
RESTORING URBAN WATERWAYS
CONVERTING BROWNFIELDS TO GREEN SPACE
PARKS AND RECREATION
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION
MODEL GROUNDWORK USA TRUST
NATIONALLY RECOGNZIED THOUGHT LEADER IN REVITALIZING NEIGHBORHOODS &
TRANSFORMING COMMUNITY LIABILITIES INTO COMMUNITY ASSETS
BEST COMPANY TO WORK FOR IN JACKSONVILLE
A GOOD TO GREAT PHILOSOPHY
SIX CORE DELIVERABLES
 Develop a conceptual plan for
the connection of the S-Line and
Hogans Creek Greenway
 Plan and organize a community
planning workshop for reuse for
brownfields for greenspace
 Plan and develop a
Groundwork Jacksonville Tree
Planting Program
SIX CORE DELIVERABLES
 Plan & develop a bioswale project
& rain garden demonstration project
 Research & initiate planning for an
urban farm & community garden
program (Public Market)
 Expand opportunities for the
Groundwork Jacksonville
Green Team to assist with
environmental improvement
projects
GROUNDWORK JACKSONVILLE
GREEN TEAM INITIATIVE
 Frequent outreach to schools and community
groups in the East Jacksonville and Springfield
neighborhoods to provide awareness of the
local programs offered by Groundwork
Jacksonville and the National Park Service .
 A free monthly program for youth aged 14 to
18 that will connect participants to the local
National Park - Timucuan Ecological and
Historical Preserve and neighborhood parks
through community service
 An intensive summer, stipend paid,
educational and job training program for local
high school students who will complete a
variety of watershed projects and park
improvements
GROUNDWORK JACKSONVILLE
GREEN TEAM INITIATIVE
 Increase Opportunities for Physical Activity through the development of parks, trails and
recreational facilities that are safe, welcoming and accessible to all
 Increase Access to Healthy Food by creating a network of urban gardens/farms and expanding
opportunities for community-supported agriculture
 Improve the Quality of Our Air, Water and Land through brownfield redevelopment, volunteer
cleanups, tree planting, water quality monitoring, and integration of low-impact development
techniques
 Support Biodiversity by implementing habitat enhancement and restoration projects
 Reduce Energy Consumption through the development of pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods
and the use of locally-sourced and recycled materials for project construction, and for teaching
about alternative energy and sustainable agriculture
 Build Community by involving local stakeholders in decision making,
planning, and implementation.
GROUNDWORK JACKSONVILLE
GREEN TEAM CORE VALUES
 Shared Stewardship - We share a commitment to resource
stewardship with the global preservation community
 Excellence - We strive continually to learn and improve so that we
may achieve the highest ideals
 Integrity - We deal honestly and fairly with the public and one another
 Tradition - We are proud of it; we learn from it; we are not bound by it.
 Respect - We embrace each others’ differences so that we may enrich
the well-being of everyone
GREEN TEAM
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
 Community service hours and stipend
 In-depth, high quality, hands-on experiences
for youth in their community and in national
parks
 Strong emphasis on group interaction, peer
cohesion, and mutual accountability
 Develop critical thinking skills and problem
solving techniques while working, playing and
learning
 Foster environmental identity formation
 Provide relevant work opportunities and
career path awareness
 Challenge peers to be environmental
ambassadors
GREEN TEAM INITIATIVE
TWO TRACTS
 Summer Leadership Camp Tract
 Community Service Tract
 Ea r n a s t i pe nd ( c o m m un ity s e r vi c e r e q u i red )
 A p r o g ram f o r yo u t h a g e d 1 4 t o 1 8
 Al l e ve n t s wi l l h a ve a wo r k , p l a y, l e a r n
c o m p o nent
 Br e a kfa st a n d l u n c h p r o vi d ed
 Pr o vi d e d t r a nspo rtati on
 W ritte n a n d vi d e o j o u r n al
 Fi e l d t r i p s t o l o c a l a n d s o u t he astern U . S.
parks
 Be a u t ifi catio n p r o j e cts
 Bl i g h t r e d e ve l o pm ent
 Watershe d c l e a nu ps
 U r b a n Fa r m i n g
 Fu l f i l ls Br i g h t Fu t u re s vo l u n t e er h o u r s a n d
N a t i o na l H o n o r s So c i e ty
 A free monthly program for youth aged 14 to 18
and related adults
 All events will have a work, play, learn
component
 Provided transportation
 Field trips to local and southeastern U.S. parks
 Beautification projects
 Blight redevelopment
 Watershed cleanups
 Urban Farming
 Fulfills Bright Futures volunteer hours and
National Honors Society