Friends of the James River Park names its new executive director
Friends of the James River Park has named longtime Richmond outdoor education leader Penelope Gorman as its next executive director, selecting a candidate deeply familiar with both the park system and the community that surrounds it.
Gorman most recently served as the Richmond’s outdoor education supervisor within the James River Park System, where she spent nearly 11 years building programs that connected local students and families with the city’s parks and natural spaces.
“I feel like I’m jumping from one dream job to another dream job,” Gorman said. “It wasn’t that I was done with the work I was doing. This is just an opportunity to serve the park in a new way and potentially a more expansive way.”
Friends of the James River Park is a nonprofit partner organization that raises money and advocates for improvements and conservation across the city’s signature park system. The group funds projects, supports ecological restoration efforts, and works closely with city staff on park planning and development.
“Going from the public sector to the private sector, I understand the Friends’ position of supporting a public asset,” Gorman said. “It’ll change under me, but any vision I have for the park is grounded in the partnership [with the city]. I wouldn’t have taken this job if I didn’t have this starry-eyed idealism of the public good and have this opportunity to work with the city to strengthen that public good.”
Dave Broocke, president of the Friends’ board, said Gorman stood out in a highly-competitive search that drew more than 100 applicants.
“She has great experience in the park and she knows [the park] extremely well,” Broocke said. “She’s passionate about it and very committed. She did a terrific job in her interviews and really impressed us.”
The board hired Richmond-based search firm Warren Whitney to manage the recruitment process after the organization’s first executive director, Josh Stutz, stepped down in October after four years on the job.
Broocke said the organization has grown significantly in recent years, evolving from a volunteer-led group into a growing nonprofit that raises close to $1 million annually for projects and programs.
“When Josh came on, he really built our fundraising base and partnerships,” Broocke said. “The organization grew a lot, and we’ve done a lot more projects. Now we’re thinking strategically about where we go next.”
Michael Phillips
Friends of the James River Park plays a key role in supporting the park system, often helping fund initiatives that the city itself cannot fully cover.
Andrew Alli, James River Park & Trails and Greenways superintendent, said the organization has become an essential partner: “They’ve really been our go-to partner for park advocacy and development. They help with fundraising for park projects, education and outreach, and they’re very invested in both protecting and enhancing the river.”
Recent projects funded or supported by the Friends include a nature exploration area, currently under development on Belle Isle. Designed as a natural play environment for children and families, the project uses natural materials, like tree trunks and boulders, to create features that reflect the park’s landscape. The bulk of the more than $100,000 needed for the project came from a grant the Friends secured from The Robins Foundation.
Andy Thompson
Friends of the James River Park also supports the park’s invasive species management team and helped fund a comprehensive natural resource management plan that guides ecological restoration work across the park system.
For Gorman, whose career has focused on connecting Richmond residents to outdoor learning, the new role represents a chance to work at a broader scale. Outdoor education, she said, is fundamentally about building stewardship.
“By inspiring joy and adventure in outdoor spaces, we’re also cultivating care for the place itself,” Gorman said. “This role is an opportunity to support the park and the people who use it in a bigger-picture way.”
Looking ahead, Broocke said the organization hopes to continue strengthening its collaboration with the city while expanding conservation and access efforts.
“Our mission is pretty simple,” he said. “We raise money, and we spend that money on the park.”
