Lori Heath
Each month, we introduce you to the Foothills Branch Council members or activity committee chairs who make our Foothills Branch thrive. This month, meet Foothills Branch Director and Urban Walks Committee Chair, Liz McNett Crowl.
The Foothills Branch Director is the Foothills representative at The Mountaineers Board of Director meetings. Since her election to the role in early 2023, Liz has been getting up to speed on how the Board works. She is watching the new strategic plan move forward, learning how policies are reviewed and updated, and working through the annual budget process.
Liz has been involved with Urban Walks since its inception in early 2021. She contributed to the creation of The Mountaineers Urban Walking Standards, which were officially adopted in January 2023. She also helped create and pilot the Urban Walk Leader: Pedestrian Safety Seminar, Urban Walk Leader badge, and the Pedestrian Safety Skills badge.
As the Foothills Urban Walks Committee Chair, Liz serves on the Urban Walk Council, which meets monthly to collaborate on a variety of issues related to Urban Walks. The council coordinates Urban Walk Leader training and recently reviewed the Routes and Places database to add Urban Walks to the system. The council also developed Urban Walk First Aid Standards, which were recently adopted by The Mountaineers First Aid Council. A badge is in the works.
During her long career in public health, Liz worked to promote physical activity for health, which involved working in the non-motorized transportation arena to advocate for safe places for people to walk and bike. Liz draws upon those experiences to help the Urban Walks program flourish. She works with Foothills UW leaders to schedule and lead urban walk leader trainings, create leader resources, and coordinate leader development. Over the last two years, the number of Foothills Urban Walks leaders has multiplied from 3 to 30. The UW committee is offering more and more trips, including hybrid urban walks like Mindfulness walks, Geocaching walks, and Conditioning walks.
Liz thinks Urban Walking is a great activity with broad appeal. Urban Walks provides another option for Mountaineers to get outside and enjoy nature in urban and suburban areas, which are often accessible by public transportation. Venues for Urban Walks are quite varied including trails and streets, cultural settings, and national, state, county, and city parks.
Attend a Branch Council Meeting
The best way to become familiar with the Branch Council is to attend a Branch Council meeting. These meetings are open to all Foothills Branch members who would like to learn more about what’s going on in the branch or contribute their ideas. Join us at the next Branch Council Meeting on January 9.
