(Albany, NY) - The Boards of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council, Greenway Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley, Inc., and the Greenway Heritage Conservancy HRV, Inc. have approved the hiring of Andy Kitzmann as their next executive director at a joint meeting on April 19, 2024. Kitzmann will also serve as director of the federally-designated Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, for which the Greenway is the management entity.
Kitzmann has served for the past fifteen years as the assistant director of the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, Inc. and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission. While at Erie Canalway he oversaw a variety of historic preservation and adaptive reuse activities, the creation of several grants programs that provided critical support for trail and waterway infrastructure improvements, preservation and recreation enhancements, and interpretation and wayfinding activities. Kitzmann brings to the Greenway a philosophy of fostering meaningful partnerships with nonprofit, municipal, and private leaders to achieve success in implementing organizational and regional goals.
Kitzmann will replace outgoing Greenway Executive Director Scott Keller, who was with the Greenway and its predecessors for over 38 years and who retired in March 2024. Beth Campochiaro, Greenway trails and community outreach director, is serving as interim executive director until Kitzmann starts his position on June 3. Keller’s replacement was selected after a six-month search.
“The Greenway plays a vital role in the region, and we are thrilled to have the benefit of Andy’s leadership at this crucial time,” said Kevin Burke, chair of the Greenway Conservancy. “All of us on the board look forward to working with Andy to continue supporting the communities and organizations of our beloved Hudson River Valley.”
Meg Downey, chair of the Greenway Communities Council, said, ”Andy is an exceptional and collaborative leader who will help the Greenway and the National Heritage Area expand their impact even further.”
“The Hudson River Valley is an incredible area with a nationally important history, world class recreational and tourism opportunities, and a strong network of interconnected communities that together enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike,” Kitzmann said. “I’m thrilled to have been selected to work with the Greenway’s boards, staff, and volunteers in continuing to champion the value of the Hudson River Valley as a great place to live, work, and visit.”
Kitzmann has lived in Upstate New York for the last 30 years. Today, he lives in Ballston Spa, Saratoga County where he resides with his wife, Jane Greiner, who is an instructional designer with Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education, and their daughter Anneliese, who is a sixth grader in the Saratoga Springs City School District. Andy and Jane’s son, Jacob, is a junior at the University of Iowa’s School of Engineering. When Andy is not at work or attending his family’s many activities, he can be found fishing, hiking, and working in his wood shop.
About the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area
The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area program was established by Congress in 1996 and is funded, in part, through the National Park Service, Department of Interior. The National Heritage Area expands on traditional approaches to resource stewardship by building public and private partnerships that help celebrate, preserve, protect, and interpret the nationally significant resources for the Hudson River Valley for the benefit of the nation. The activities of the HRVNHA and its partners contribute $975 Million in annual economic benefit, supporting 9,888 jobs in the Hudson Valley and $112 million in local and state tax revenue. The Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area is managed by the Hudson River Valley Greenway.
About the Hudson River Valley Greenway
The Hudson River Valley Greenway is a unique state-sponsored program established by the Greenway Act of 1991 to encourage communities to develop projects and initiatives related to the criteria of natural and cultural resource protection, regional and local planning, economic development, public access to the Hudson River (as well as other regional and local resources), and heritage and environmental education. It provides technical assistance and small grants for planning, water- and land-based trails and other projects that reinforce the Greenway Criteria. In keeping with the New York tradition of home rule, the Greenway program has no regulatory authority and participation by municipalities in Greenway programs and projects is entirely voluntary. The Greenway also manages the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.
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