Guest Speakers announced for Feb 16th Cosmo Luncheon: Joe LaFond & John Garrett, Friends of the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation
We are proud to let you know that our Cosmo of the Day for the February 16th Club luncheon, Ken Meek, has announced his guest speakers, Joseph J. LaFond, CPA/ABV, MS, Assurance Manager, BDO & John M. Garrett, Assistant Vice President, Commercial Portfolio Manager, TowneBank, both founding members of Friends of the Elizabeth River Trail Foundation. The luncheon will be held at the Norfolk Yacht & Country Club at 12:15p. Join us, won’t you?
Joe and John will speak with us on Creating a Corridor for Innovation and Activity on the Elizabeth River.
It’s our vision as the Friends of the Elizabeth Trail Foundation to enhance and expand the Trail as a recreational, social and educational destination that improves environmental awareness, neighborhood connectivity and innovative economic development in Norfolk, VA. By generating public support, it’s our goal to provide planning, fundraising and marketing to activate the Trail and create a world-class asset that’s a source of local pride. We are a non-profit organization lead by a diverse group of architects, city planners, designers, bankers, entrepreneurs, accountants, cyclists, philanthropists, lawyers, marketers and engineers motivated and passionate about making Norfolk an even better place to live, work and play.
As it stands today, the trail runs from Norfolk State University down through Downtown Norfolk, up through Freemason, Fort Norfolk, Chelsea and West Ghent, all the way into Old Dominion University, and Larchmont, before finally reaching Lochhaven and the Virginia International Terminal. Twenty-eight neighborhoods lie within a five minute walk along the Trail and serves as home to many of Norfolk’s economic engines. From higher education centers like NSU, TCC, EVMS and ODU to major corporations such as Norfolk Southern, Sentara Norfolk General, and the Port of Virginia, there lies an incredible opportunity for joining our neighborhoods and economic hubs into a well-connected and accessible corridor for innovation. Furthermore, Norfolk has an incredible coastline along the river; however, the public’s access to it is limited. This urban trail system presents an unbelievable opportunity to enhance the public’s waterfront experience with amenities like kayak launches, coastal greenspace and environmental education areas. By engaging the diverse communities and developing strategic partnerships, together we can create a home grown, world class asset that transforms Norfolk into a destination for business and activity.