Palmer directs conservation planning at Piedmont Land Conservancy, guiding the organization’s strategic initiatives to maximize conservation benefit. As part of this role, Palmer completes conservation plans, helps facilitate regional trail projects, including the planned Piedmont Greenway, and co-founded Piedmont Legacy Trails, a regional trails initiative, advancing and promoting trails across the region. Palmer was a founder of and serves as Coordinator for the North Carolina Great Trails State Coalition, a statewide advocacy coalition with more than 100 nonprofit, local government and industry members working to secure sustained state funding for trails. She directed NC’s 2023 Year of the Trail campaign, a $1M campaign promoting and highlighting all types of trails across the state. The Coalition has secured more than $60M in state funding for trails, including the $25M Great Trails State Program and the $34M Complete the Trails Fund for authorized state trails. Palmer recently self-published a book with Hollis Oberlies called Trails & Treats: A Hiker and Runner’s Guide to Great Trails and Good Eats in North Carolina, featuring 30 North Carolina trails with a selection of curated places to enjoy after the trail! See https://trailsandtreats.com/ for more information. Now available on Amazon and select retail locations.