Our Team
Meet Our Team
Wade Johnston, AICP - Executive Director
Wade Johnston is the Executive Director of Tri-State Trails. An avid commuter cyclist and outdoor enthusiast, Wade is working to transform how people interact with the built environment and the outdoors across Greater Cincinnati. Under his leadership, Tri-State Trails has grown from a grassroots coalition into the region’s leading advocacy organization for active transportation. One of the organization's most impactful accomplishments is leading the CROWN Capital Campaign, which has raised $11 million in public funds and $10 million in private funds to build out a 34-mile urban trail loop around Cincinnati.
Wade earned his Bachelor of Urban Planning from the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) with a focus on multi-modal transportation, Geographic Information Science, and public relations. He is an active member of the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners, and serves on the boards of the Ohio to Erie Trail and the Mt. Washington Community Council.
Rachel Culley - GIS Analyst & Planner
Rachel Culley is the GIS Analyst & Planner at Tri-State Trails. She is passionate about the power active transportation has to improve economic vitality, public health, and civic equity. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati’s Bachelor of Urban Planning program at the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, with a Certificate of GIS, Rachel supported Tri-State Trails' Trail Monitoring Program in 2018 and 2019. Since 2020, Rachel has been supporting Tri-State Trails' Regional Trails Plan database management, Trail Monitoring Program, community outreach, grant writing, membership, and research efforts. Rachel's ultimate goal is to help Tri-State Trails make more informed, equitable decisions based on geospatial and data analysis. Reach out to Rachel for all of your GIS, Trail Monitoring, and membership inquiries.
Caitlin Sparks - Communication & Events Manager
Caitlin Sparks is the Communication & Events Manager at Tri-State Trails, where she produces the monthly newsletter, maintains the website, and helps others share the joy of our trails through events and organizational storytelling. She organizes signature events, such as the Tour de CROWN, Pop-Up Bike Shops, and the annual Breakfast on the Bridge. She loves promoting resources like the Low-Stress Bike Map and Trail Finder to help more people confidently explore our growing trail network.
Caitlin believes that safely connecting people to their communities and the outdoors isn’t just fun—it’s the future of how we travel and thrive. She serves on the Executive Committee of Bike Walk Kentucky, chairs the Dayton, KY Park Board, and sits on the board of the Village Green Foundation, home of MoBo Bicycle Co-op. She joined Tri-State Trails in 2021 after serving as Visual Communication Manager at Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, and she holds a BFA from Northern Kentucky University.
Brad Bowers, AICP - Project Manager
Brad Bowers is a Project Manager at Tri-State Trails, where he leads technical assistance for multi-jurisdictional trail projects and collaborates with local governments on feasibility studies and comprehensive trail plans. A frequent bike commuter, Brad is passionate about active transportation and connecting people to their communities in ways that promote health, equity, and sustainability. He brings valuable experience coordinating with regional and state agencies, managing large steering committees, and building partnerships to move trail projects forward.
Brad also supports communities in developing funding strategies and identifying grant opportunities to bring trail projects to life. Before joining Tri-State Trails, he worked for four years as a Planner II in Anderson Township, Ohio. He earned a Bachelor of Urban Planning from the University of Cincinnati and holds a certificate in Sustainable Transportation from the University of Washington. Brad is an active member of the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Tri-State Trails Board
Sean McGrory, President - Clark Schaefer Hackett, Wasson Way
Rachel Comte, Vice President / Secretary - Urban Canopy Works, LLC
Frances Mennone, Treasurer - Frost Brown Todd
Tom Carleton - Great Parks of Hamilton County
Kate Greene - Urban Sites
Amanda Penick - Bricker Graydon
William "Wym" C. Portman, III - Gallatin, LLC
Douglas Prather - Major Taylor Cycling Club of Cincinnati
Christine Russell - BE NKY Growth Partnership, Northern Kentucky Port Authority
Governance Committee
Kate Greene, Chair
Frances Mennone
Douglas Prather
CROWN Committee
William "Wym" C. Portman III, Co-Chair
Jan Portman, Co-Chair
Simon Foster, Treasurer
Rick Greiwe
Sean McGrory
Tri-State Trails is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Federal Tax ID 31-1770299.