Related Link: http://www.railstotrails.orgKeith Laughlin became president of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) in February 2001. RTC is a national organization with more than 100,000 members dedicated to transforming unused rail lines into multipurpose trails. Since its founding in 1986, RTC has worked with communities to create more than 15,000 miles of rail-trail. Laughlin is responsible for overseeing all activities at RTC related to trail building, policy advocacy, public education, finances and management. Before joining RTC, Laughlin had more than 20 years of governmental experience in Washington, D.C.
He served for eight years in the White House Council on Environmental Quality as Associate Director for Sustainable Development. In that capacity, he was the White House liaison to the President’s Council on Sustainable Development; directed Vice President Gore’s Reinventing Environmental Regulation Initiative; and was the executive director of the White House Task Force on Livable Communities.
Before joining the executive branch, Laughlin was a senior staff person in the U.S. House of Representatives for 14 years. During that time, he was chief of staff to Rep. Howard Wolpe (D-MI); an associate staff member of the House Budget Committee; executive director of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition; and staff director of the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight of the House Science Committee.
He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and two children.
