Schedule​

Time

Event

Title

Presenter(s)

9:30 am – 10:00 am

Check In & Coffee Service

10:00 am – 10:30 am

Opening

Welcome Address

Roo Yawitz, River City Outdoors; Dan Burkhardt, Magnificent Missouri

10:45 am – 11:30 am

Breakout 1A

Making the Case for the Outdoors: Health, Education, and Economic Impact

Dr. Evan Coulson, Trailhead Collective; Dr. Katie Dudley, University of Illinois Extension; Dr. Brooke Jacobs, Delve Health Consulting

Breakout 1B

Reimagining Downtown St. Louis: Building a Better City Through the Outdoors

Arielle Claypool, Gateway Arch Park Foundation; Mark Perkins, Great Rivers Greenway; Mona Vespa, GO! St. Louis

11:45 am – 12:30 pm

Breakout 2A

How We Built It: Turning Grassroots Ideas Into Real Projects

Aubrey Byron and Matt Wyczalkowski, St. Louis Coalition to Protect Cyclists & Pedestrians (CP2); Ryan Hanlon, Friends of Carondelet Park; Ricky Hughes, STL Run Crew

Breakout 2B

What’s Possible Here: Lessons from Cities that Bet on the Outdoors

Kristina Anderson, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board; Melanie Borger; RIVERSPORT Foundation; Brannon Pack, Experience Fayettevile

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm

Lunch

1:30 pm – 2:00 pm

Featured Presentation

Parks, People, and Prosperity: Insights from Missouri’s 2026 State Parks Reports

Daniel Engler, Missouri State Parks

2:15 pm – 3:00 pm

Breakout 3A

Missouri’s Rivers: Protecting and Growing Our Greatest Outdoor Asset

Steve Schnarr, Missouri River Relief; Michael Sertle, American Rivers; David Tobey, Ozark Riverways Foundation; Charlene Waggoner, Missouri Paddling Coalition; Brian Waldrop, Missouri Department of Conservation

Breakout 3B

Telling Your Outdoor Story: Building a Destination People Want to Visit

Cory Jobe, Great Rivers & Routes; Tony Mellinger, Aspen Creative; Kyle Spradley, Kyle Spradley Photography

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Outdoor Reset

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Refreshments & Networking

4:00 pm – 4:45 pm

Keynote Address

From Five to 500,000: Building a Movement Through Leadership, Strategy, and Community

Anthony Reed, former Fortune 500 executive, Hall of Fame athlete, author, award-winning filmmaker, nationally recognized speaker

4:45 pm – 5:00 pm

Closing

Closing Remarks

Matt Green, River City Outdoors