Rebeca Ramirez
Former Cold Spring shop owner takes position
The Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail announced on Tuesday (Sept. 19) that it has hired a Cold Spring resident as its community and visitor-relations manager.
Rebeca Ramirez, the former co-owner of The Cold Spring Cheese Shop, will “collaborate with local groups and individuals to continue fostering community involvement and engagement in Fjord Trail planning,” among other duties, according to the organization.
Before joining the Fjord Trail, Ramirez was a member of the ad hoc parking committee for the village and co-chair of the Philipstown Trails Committee.
Thank you for sharing the news that I’ve been hired as the community and visitor relations manager at Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail.
I’m excited that my many years of working closely with communities on advocating for walkability and bikeability and age-friendly districts, have helped me be the right fit for this role. My goal is to listen fully to the wide spectrum of views, help foster continued dialogue, and be a valuable part of the effort to help inform everyone who wants to know about details and phases.
We had a great conversation at our Sunday Afternoon Chat this past weekend where we answered questions and provided updated information to residents that want to continue to understand the history and depth of the project. I know there is a real hunger for these conversations and I highly encourage community stakeholders to attend. For those who are interested, check out https://hhft.org/upcoming-events/ for info on Sunday Afternoon Chats, Walk & Talk events, and upcoming public meetings.
Congratulations to Ms. Ramirez! I am an 18-year resident of Cold Spring, and I love this community. I’m not a hiker, biker or runner, but I was distressed by all the antipathy toward the Fjord Trail.
After attending an informational event at the Fjord Trail offices, during which the staff gave a comprehensive overview of their plans, including detailing how much they had listened to community members and had revised certain aspects of the trail plan, I came away thoroughly impressed, not just by the levels of expertise at work, but by how much these folks are driven by data, which includes listening to public opinion.
The recent hire of Cold Spring resident Rebeca Ramirez as its community and visitor-relations manager demonstrates more of that: care for the community and a desire to dialogue. As the great Buddhist educator Daisaku Ikeda states, genuine dialogue should be “death-defying” — meaning we must be willing to enter into an exchange in which we can let our preconceptions die. This can only happen when the parties are committed to listening to each other. In my experience, the Fjord Trail team is doing just that.