Volunteer Extraordinaire: Nicole Walton’s Legacy at Waterfront Park
Meet Nicole Walton, a driving force behind Waterfront Park’s success. Her unwavering dedication to community service and her longstanding commitment to Waterfront Park have made an extraordinary impact for park patrons.
Nicole Walton found inspiration from a colleague at work. Working at Brown-Forman as a design account manager, she found a thriving work environment where employees were encouraged to get involved in the community, and it was a co-worker, Sharon Meade, who was involved with Waterfront Park who suggested she join the board. It was still the early 2000s and the park was newly minted having just completed its transformation from grim scrapyard to a gorgeous urban green space a few years earlier.
“We often refer to it as Louisville’s living room because it is meant to be welcoming and invites people in to explore, enjoy, relax and make memories,” she said.
She was just starting her career and the more she got involved with the Park, the more she wanted to remain involved. Even during her time on the Waterfront Development Corporation Board, she continued to engage and participate in other ways, finding different opportunities to serve. She ultimately ended up on the Friends of the Waterfront Advisory Board, where she remains today.
She can’t even count the number of events and initiatives she’s been involved in during her time as a Waterfront Park volunteer and supporter, but a few do stand out.
“Helping to plan and launch the opening of the Big Four Bridge was immensely fulfilling because here was this ignored and abandoned unused bridge that eventually became a useful landmark that literally connected two communities, two states,” she said. “It was a perfect example of repurposing something that was no longer being used and now is a favorite place for so many people.”
She’s also a big fan and supporter of the beloved monthly WFPK Waterfront Wednesday concert series that occurs annually from April through September. And she enjoyed the Silver Anchor awards, realizing the importance of thanking and acknowledging individuals and businesses that have supported the park over the years.
Like that colleague who advised her to get involved with Waterfront Park nearly 25 years ago, she now finds herself in a similar position, sharing her experience and advising co-workers, friends and even strangers (when she works the booth at Waterfront Wednesdays) how they can get involved.
“One of the simplest and easiest ways to contribute to our community and support Waterfront Park is through financial giving. It’s so easy to set up auto pay for a monthly contribution and at the same time, know that you are doing something that truly helps our community, she said.
Additionally, she recommends getting involved and joining the Friends of the Waterfront Board. She found it to be a great way to hone her job skills, expand interpersonal relationships and even branch out and learn new things.
“The late Owsley Brown II always said we should ‘plant trees so that others can enjoy their shade.’ That’s exactly what I feel like I am doing, and for generations to come. I’m proud of that.”