The Downtown Greenway is pleased to announce the continuation of a four-part speaker series designed to celebrate the 2026 Grand Opening of the Downtown Greenway.
The second session of the speaker series will take place on Thursday, May 7 at 5:30 at the Greensboro History Museum, featuring Dennis Markatos-Soriano, Executive Director of the East Coast Greenway Alliance. Dennis has served as executive director of the East Coast Greenway Alliance since 2009. He and a staff of 16 work alongside volunteers, partners and elected officials to complete the 3,000-mile Maine-to-Florida Greenway and promote its use.
Under his watch, the East Coast Greenway has grown from 18 to 37 percent complete, adding more than 500 new miles of greenway. Markatos-Soriano has quadrupled the organization’s funding through his cultivation of foundations, corporations and individual donors. He has also conceived and led ambitious programming for the Alliance, from regional conferences that gather and energize thought leaders to the East Coast River Relay, a two-month series of public events that marked the organization’s 25th anniversary, while also strengthening its partnerships throughout the corridor.
Markatos-Soriano holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead and Byrd Scholar; and a master’s in public affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Princeton University, where he received the 2008 Bradford Prize for Academic & Civic Achievement in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy. Prior to joining the Alliance, he served as executive director of two nonprofit organizations he co-founded: Students United for a Responsible Global Environment (SURGE) and Sustainable Energy Transition.
A native of rural Chatham County near the town of Pittsboro, N.C., he now lives in Durham, N.C. Markatos-Soriano enjoys basketball, soccer, riding his bike and time outdoors with his wife, kids, extended family and friends.
The final two parts of the series will take place in Fall 2026:
Economic Development talk:
Tuesday, September 15 from 8:30-10 am at Transform GSO by Thrive featuring Brian Leary, EVP/COO Highwoods Properties and former Executive Director of the Atlanta Beltline. Brian will share insights about trail-oriented development and the benefits to both developers and the community.
Public Art talk:
Thursday, October 22 from 5:30-7 pm at the Weatherspoon Art Museum featuring Thomas Sayre, an American sculptor and painter based in Raleigh, North Carolina in conversation with Dr. Emily Stamey, Curator of Academic Programming and Head of Exhibitions at the Weatherspoon Art Museum. He designs and builds public art projects all over the world. His iconic piece, Cairn’s Course is located on the Downtown Greenway’s Western Branch and Thomas will share insights into the value of public art and how it builds community.