EDUCATION Master of Science in public service administration (2014) and Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership (2012), University of Evansville
HOMETOWN Evansville
RESUME Executive director, Evansville Trails Coalition (2017-present); admissions representative, Indiana Institute of Technology (2016-17); case manager, Tuley Law Office (2014-15); field representative, American Income Life Insurance Company (2014-15); administrative associate (2010-14) and senior administrative assistant (2008-10), University of Southern Indiana; program assistant, Families Through International Adoption (2007)
“If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,” says Lorie Van Hook. Her career and life paths are winding: After putting higher education and initial career aspirations on hold to support her family, she eventually found a way back to her original goals.
“This position found me through my personal loves of volunteering and wanting to see the community connected through trails,” says Van Hook, who in November marked eight years leading Evansville Trails Coalition. “I feel very grateful that the series of steps that I took in my private life and outside of my work led me to my passions.”
AFTER YOUR MOTHER DIED IN 2000, WHAT HELPED YOU STICK TO YOUR CAREER ASPIRATIONS?
I had made a life plan, and I promised her I would stick to it. When my third child was a high school student, I returned to college. I look back now thinking, “Wow, it was challenging to wait.” But if you follow the plan and you’re true to it, then you can accomplish those things. My advice: Make a strategy for yourself.
WHERE DOES YOUR COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING LOCAL TRAILS COME FROM, AND HOW DID THAT LEAD TO YOUR ROLE AS ETC’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR?
I grew up with my mother working part-time at a parks department in Massachusetts, and it was just ingrained in me, that civic duty of living in a community and being responsible. I started in trails locally as co-chair of the West Side Improvement Association’s Parks, Trails, and Conservation Environment committee. WSIA was working with Evansville Trails Coalition. [Then-Executive Director] Austin Maxheimer had let us know that he was moving over to Community One, and he referred me to the board as a candidate for the position. I wasn’t looking for it, but it’s everything that I have ever thought of as being true to how I can help the community.
TELL US SOMETHING PEOPLE DON’T OFTEN CONSIDER WHEN THINKING ABOUT TRAILS.
In times past, we would think of a trail as a nature trail. But a trail is any pathway that accommodates people from one destination to another. Many different substrates or surfaces can comprise a trail — you can consider a pedestrian route a trail. That’s how we look at our pathways that accommodate different modes of transportation. People recreate and use bikes, they walk, run, and roll. But we want to make sure that accessibility is one of our key components because then a trail accommodates everybody.
WHY ARE TRAILS IMPORTANT TO A COMMUNITY?
When we think about how we attract young people, young families, and then retain them so that they’re raising their children here, this is another layer of how trails are important. People care about what our space looks like. They want green space, but they also want dedicated space, like our trail system, to help with recreation and overall well-being.
WHAT’S THE GOAL OF THE EVANSVILLE REGION TRAILS MASTER PLAN ANNOUNCED IN JUNE?
We’d like to see a continuous trail system, a trail that encompasses Evansville and then has these intersections in and throughout each district, and then has regional connections. I feel like now that we have it, we’re able to improve upon it. Our goal is to help the city advance these initiatives without it pulling from its budget or where we need it the most in the community.
