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Mission & Values

To protect, preserve, and enhance natural and cultural resources on both sides of the Ohio River between Westport and West Point, KY, as well as the region surrounding it, for the benefit of the public.

Our Vision

The natural and cultural environment of the Ohio River and its corridor is revered and enjoyed by the citizens of the region.

River Fields benefits the community by:

  • Enhancing quality of life
  • Fostering a long-term vision for land and water usage
  • Encouraging the preservation of history
  • Advocating the importance of cultural resources and the natural world
  • Improving aesthetics, design and beauty as well as preserving neighborhoods
  • Making a positive impact on the socio-economic aspects of life for everyone in the region

We envision all citizens of this area enjoying the natural and cultural environment of the Ohio River, its corridor and surrounding region.

Our Organization

  • As a land trust, River Fields holds 63 acres of key river corridor properties outright in 10 different parcels and approximately 2,172 acres in 27 conservation easements.
  • River Fields has a broad membership base of more than 2,100 citizens from 119 zip codes in the Louisville area and around the country.
  • River Fields is governed by a Board of Trustees that comprises over a dozen members who represent diverse backgrounds and community interests. Our presidents have included some of the Louisville area’s most dynamic civic leaders.
  • River Fields is the largest and oldest river conservancy on all 981 miles of the Ohio River.

Our Staff

Meme Sweets Runyon

Meme Sweets Runyon

Executive Director

Owen Ronald

Advocacy and Conservation Consultant

Vanessa Castle

Event and Development Consultant

Vanessa has over ten years of experience working for non-profits in the Louisville area in fundraising and event planning. Working as a part-time Development Consultant for River Fields since June 2015, Vanessa assists with fundraising and educational events, membership and giving initiatives, and social media and email communications, in addition to other projects. With a background in art history, Vanessa appreciates the aesthetic beauty that conserved land brings to a community and its importance to the health and quality of life for our region's citizens.

Tina Adams

Office Manager

Our Board of Trustees

Logan Ormerod
Chairman

Bea Rosenberg
Treasurer

Robert W. Griffith
Secretary

Rebecca Brown
James Haynes                                                                                                   

Arnita Gadson
David Morgan

Von C. Purdy
Charles W. Stewart
Suzanne Wallace Whayne

Honorary Trustees
Laura Lee Lyons Brown
Sallie Bingham

Trustee Emeriti
Hunter G. Louis           Kenneth W. Moore

Our Partners

National Partners
The Land Trust Alliance
The National Trust for Historic Preservation
The Cultural Landscape Foundation
Land Trust Advocacy Ambassadors
TerraFirma Legal Defense Insurance
Land Trust Accreditation Commission

State Partners
Preservation Kentucky
Kentucky Heritage Council
Kentucky Land Trusts Coalition
Kentucky Waterways Alliance

Regional Partners
Center for Neighborhoods
Jacobs School/James Taylor Neighborhood Association
Preservation Louisville
The City of Prospect
Southern Regional Office Indiana Landmarks
West Point Concerned Citizens

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