Susan K. Trautman, CPRP is the Chief Executive Officer of Great Rivers Greenway. Since 2010, she has been instrumental in advancing a vision of improving the quality of life in St. Louis by building the River Ring, a 600-mile web of more than 45 greenways, parks and trails that are connecting St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. Great Rivers Greenway is a regional park district covering 1,200 square miles and serving a population of two million people. Working with over 200 partners, she oversees initiatives that impact more than 100 municipalities, creating and preserving outdoor spaces, connecting people to nature, linking and strengthening neighborhoods, encouraging healthier active lifestyles, and stimulating the economic well-being of the region. The District is also the public steward of Proposition P, the Safe and Accessible Arch and Public Parks Initiative. A 3/16 cent sales tax approved in April 2013 which provided $100 million in public funds to match $250 million privately raised for the renovation of the Gateway Arch and the St. Louis Riverfront. Prop P more than doubled the District’s revenue increasing it to over $30 million annually as well as providing additional park funding for St. Louis City and St. Louis County. Trautman is now spearheading an effort to develop Chouteau Greenway, a major public-private partnership to connect Washington University and Forest Park through our city to downtown and the Gateway Arch National Park, with north and south connections to our city’s vibrant neighborhoods, parks, business and arts districts, employment centers, transit hubs, and dozens of cultural and educational institutions.
Trautman was honored with the NAACP 2018 Ina Boon Social Justice award for work related to minority inclusion in the CityArchRIver project. She was recognized as a Missouri Athletic Club’s 2016“Women of Distinction”. Trautman was listed in the 2014 Alive Magazine “Buzz List” as an influential leader enriching St. Louis as a partner to the CityArchRiver project. She was a 2011 St. Louis Business “Top 25 Influential Business Woman” and in 2012 was awarded the “Missourian Award” for her long time efforts in improving the quality of life in Missouri through parks and recreation services. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Regional Health Commission, as a Board member of Beyond Housing and is an Urban Land Institute Advisory Board member. She served on the Board of Directors for the National Recreation and Park Association and served as 2015-16 Chair of this 60,000 member organization. Among honors received under Trautman’ s leadership Great Rivers Greenway has received the 2016 Mayor’s Award, the 2015 American Society of Landscape Architect’s Award of Excellence; the 2015 Missouri Park and Recreation Association Give Back Award; the 2011 Focus St. Louis Quality of Life Award and the 2018 and 2011 East West Gateway Outstanding Local Government Achievement Award.
Trautman’ s background includes serving as the Director of Parks and Recreation with the City of Des Peres, as Planner/Principal with SWT Design, and serving the City of Clayton, Mo., as Director of Parks and Recreation and as Executive Director of The Center of Clayton. For nearly 35 years, she has been responsible for guiding the development and enhancement of numerous park and open space facilities, trails, recreation centers, and delivering successful projects such as the $27 million Lodge Des Peres and the $19 million Center of Clayton. . [updated 8/20]