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The Board of Directors at Great Rivers Greenway (GRG) has named lifelong public servant Mark Perkins as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the public agency. Perkins, who has been the city administrator for Creve Coeur, Missouri, since 1999, will join the GRG team on August 4. He will be the third leader of the agency, which was formed by a vote of the people in November 2000 to connect three counties and 120 towns with a network of greenways.
“We are thrilled that Mark Perkins, a strong leader with decades of proven executive experience, will take the helm at Great Rivers Greenway,” said Dr. Bernard J. DuBray, President of the GRG Board of Directors and head of the search committee. “His work demonstrates he’s a regional thinker who gets things done, and that’s what we’re all about.”
Perkins has significant experience in administering public investment, championing civic engagement and infrastructure projects, collaborating both across the region and through public-private partnerships, and leading a strategic vision with a large, dynamic team.
“The vision of building a regional greenway system is both inspiring and deeply meaningful to me; it’s an honor to be part of something with such long-term impact,” said Perkins. “I’ll focus first on listening and learning to identify key challenges and opportunities, including expanding and deepening partnerships.”
The thorough search process began last fall following the announcement of 15-year CEO Susan Trautman’s retirement, and now concludes during the agency’s 25th anniversary year. GRG has grown significantly since its inception, now with 135 miles of greenways, more than 40 full-time staff members, a 501(c)(3) foundation, a second tax levy passed in 2013, and major public-private partnership success. Perkins joins in time to guide the fifth update to the agency’s overall strategic plan (done with community engagement every five years), complete the Brickline Greenway project in 2030 and the opportunity to renew one tax levy through a public vote in 2033.
“What struck me most about Mark throughout the search process is that he is a listener, a collaborator and an excellent steward of public funds,” said Michelle Bock, GRG Chief Operating Officer and staff representative on the search committee.
Beyond strategic planning and implementation, Perkins’ accomplishments include cooperating across neighboring communities to form both a regional health self-insurance cooperative and a multi-city public safety dispatch agency to reduce costs; securing Creve Coeur’s status as one of only three Missouri cities with an S&P Triple-A bond rating; and collaborating on the creation of the 39 North AgTech Innovation District. He serves on several regional boards, including as a rate commissioner for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District and a city liaison for 39 North. A credentialed and award-winning city manager, Perkins holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration, both from the University of Kansas.
“This professional opportunity also comes with a lifelong personal passion for the work,” said Perkins. “I was fortunate to grow up in a Kansas City community with a greenway system—it was where my friends and I rode bikes, explored, and built lasting memories. Later, I lived near a multi-community trail in the Chicago area that followed a rail line, which deepened my appreciation for how greenways enhance quality of life and contribute to economic vitality. I’m excited to champion this regional vision as it continues to make a lasting impact for generations to come.”