GAR Foundation is proud to announce Dan Rice as its 2026 Glass Half Full Award recipient!
For more than three decades, Dan has led the coordination and development of the Ohio & Erie Canalway, preserving and interpreting the natural, historic, and recreational resources along the 110‑mile corridor from Cleveland to New Philadelphia. As President and CEO of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, he has worked closely with local, state, and federal officials, community leaders, and residents to bring the Corridor Management Plan to life across Northeast Ohio.
Dan played a central role in securing Congressional designation of the Ohio & Erie Canalway as a National Heritage Area in 1996. Under his leadership, 92 miles of the 101‑mile Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail have been developed, including full completion through Summit County, the first county to achieve this milestone.
He has served as the convener for Akron’s Reimagining the Civic Commons, a $40 million investment in public spaces, parks, and trail improvements along the Towpath Trail. Through this work, more than 500 community gatherings engaged over 5,000 residents, with major renovations and improvements at Lock 3 Park and Summit Lake centered on access, equity, environmental stewardship, and neighborhood connection.
Throughout his career, Dan has coordinated and leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars in federal, state, local, and private funding to advance canalway projects. He led the $2.2 million restoration of the historic Richard Howe House, now the headquarters and information center for the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, and has provided technical assistance and organizational support to more than 150 public‑private partnerships along the corridor.
A national advocate for heritage areas, Dan has held long‑standing leadership roles with the Alliance of National Heritage Areas and has testified before both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in support of conservation and community development initiatives. His work has also contributed to the establishment of statewide heritage programs, scenic byways, trail and greenway systems, and county park departments.
Dan’s civic leadership extends across planning, parks, tourism, historic preservation, and leadership development through decades of board and advisory service. His many regional and national honors reflect a career grounded in collaboration and a belief that public spaces can strengthen communities, bridge differences, and create shared pride in place.
On Thursday, April 2, GAR Foundation honored Dan at a private ceremony at Andrew Jackson House.
View photos from the reception
Glass Half Full Award
Learn more about GAR's Glass Half Full Award and its list of previous winners by clicking the link below.
