Trailnet Announces New Executive Director, Ralph Pfremmer

Welcome to Trailnet's new Executive Director, Ralph Pfremmer.  

Earlier this year, Trailnet announced that long-time CEO Ann Mack would be stepping down and the organization would be engaging in a nationwide search for its next Executive Director.  Last week, Trailnet announced the selection of Pfremmer as Executive Director: 

Ralph Pfremmer, new Executive Director of Trailnet

Trailnet is happy to announce that its Board of Directors named Ralph Pfremmer as the organization’s next Executive Director, effective October 16, 2014. Pfremmer joins Trailnet with an expertise in business development and a passion for health and wellness.

The Board of Directors considered applicants from across the nation before unanimously selecting Ralph Pfremmer. Pfremmer is inspired by Trailnet’s work over the past 25 years and looks forward to expanding the organization’s reach and impact of future efforts. A personal advocate for health and wellness, Pfremmer is an avid cyclist and has experienced the life-changing benefits of an active lifestyle firsthand. His proven skills as an innovator and entrepreneur will help further Trailnet’s mission throughout the St. Louis region.

Prior to Trailnet, Pfremmer was CEO and founder of Pfoodman Holdings in St. Louis, Missouri. Pfremmer used active living and sustainability as a platform to build his company and support pertinent events throughout the region. As CEO and founder of Pfoodman Holdings, Pfremmer collaborated with communities and worked towards maintaining healthy, active values. 

Pfremmer succeeds outgoing CEO Ann Rivers Mack, who joined Trailnet in 2000. Mack guided Trailnet?s strategic shift from trail building to its current focus on healthy, active, and vibrant communities. She had a vision that Trailnet could play a role in creating bikeable and walkable communities. This vision became the building blocks for many successful Trailnet programs. The organization will honor Ms. Mack at Trailnet’s 2nd Annual Fundraising event, Ped-A-Palooza: The Art of Living on Friday, October 17.

Trailnet welcomes Ralph Pfremmer as a new leader in the non-profit sector and looks forward to working with him to enhance existing programs to increase walking, biking, and the use of public transit throughout the St. Louis region.

Under the direction of former CEO, Ann Mack, Trailnet through an amazing transition from a group that was very effective in promoting and creating regional trails, including the Riverfront Trail and Grant's Trail, to a powerful, broad-based community organization that works for healthy, active living and improving the quality of life of everyone in the St. Louis region. 

Trilnet recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, and pursues a broad-based program including numerous bicycle rides and events, Safe Routes to School, a key program to help cities, counties, and other agencies with transportation and trail planning, and the support of policy initiatives in support of bicycling, walking, trails, and healthy lifestyles--such as the recent passage of the Complete Streets Policy in St. Louis County.  

Trailnet is one of the leading metro-wide advocacy organizations in the U.S. that works for better bicycling, walking, trails, and livable communities. It will be exciting to see where Trailnet goes under Pfremmer's leadership!