No Ceiling: Mary Kromrey

Local women share their journey to the top of their professions and the challenges and triumphs they faced along the way. They’re rewriting the script on success and there’s no ceiling.

Below is an excerpt from the start of our conversation.

—Christine Temple, Executive Editor

Christine Temple: Springfield has over 110 miles of trails within our city, and you are leading those efforts to maintain and grow and expand those. Can you tell me about the work of Ozark Greenways?
Mary Kromrey: Ozark Greenways is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and we were formed back in 1991. When you hear folks in our community talk about public/private partnerships, we very much embody that. We’re working off of a shared plan across our region that will be well over 200 miles when it’s completed. I call ourselves the main cheerleaders. We’re there to help support and advocate and educate across our region about why we think trails and connecting with the outdoors is important.

Temple: How do you use the trails?
Kromrey: The Jordan Creek Greenway Trail, that is one I use frequently, along with our great sidewalk system, to get around in center city. I still absolutely use my car. I do really enjoy hiking out at Fellows Lake. It’s just such a pretty spot and I think so many folks still don’t know about that wonderful recreational opportunity. It’s kind of like a parent who has kids, you’re not supposed to talk about who your favorite kid is – I shouldn’t say that I have a favorite trail.

Temple: We won’t share this with any of the other trails. Springfield is just such a car-centric community. What does that look like and feel like to slow down and walk or bike in our community?
Kromrey: I highly encourage folks to try it. Don’t think one day you drive your car every day and the next day you drive your bicycle every day. It’s a fun way to slow down and see your community and you see both the good and the bad. In the springtime, our community is so beautiful to walk or bicycle through with all of the dogwood trees and the redbud trees. I don’t notice that when I’m in my car as much.

Temple: What are the barriers that are in the way to making our city multimodal? We’ve seen a number of pedestrian fatalities in this past year. There is a city initiative to remind people to follow the law and stop at crosswalks.
Kromrey: Our community, especially if you look at the newer portions of our community, was built and designed in a very car-centric way. But if you look at some of our older neighborhoods, they’re more dense. The majority of them have a sidewalk if not on one side of the street, both sides of the street and there might even be some remnants of light commercial uses, which continues that encouragement of walking down to the corner to grab a gallon of milk. As our streets get wider, as our automobiles get larger, that makes it harder for somebody that’s walking and bicycling. A lot of people that are being struck by people driving cars, they are crossing in an area that is surprising to somebody on a roadway. You have to think, well, why are they crossing there? Is it because they’re lazy or maybe they’re exhausted and they’re walking for their transportation? Just approaching everybody that’s utilizing our transportation network and giving them the benefit of the doubt. And for us to see that person as a neighbor.