Former Mission City Administrator Mike Scanlon spent nearly a decade helping shape the trails and parks that are part of our community today. His vision and leadership led to the creation of Rock Creek Trail and the purchase of land that would eventually become Mohawk Park — a project that came full circle with its renovation in 2024.

This fall, Mike is once again putting trails at the center of his story. After being diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer in 2024, he launched his “Ride for Resiliency,” a month-long journey to bike 700 miles of Kansas trails. His ride began on September 15 at Turkey Creek Streamway Park in Merriam, a trail where he and his daughters once biked together. He will conclude the 60-trail journey in the Flint Hills.

Mission City Administrator Laura Smith describes him best: “He had the vision.” That vision continues to inspire our community today, reminding us that the trails, parks, and gathering places we enjoy exist because of leaders who believed in building for the future. Ms. Smith and Mayor Flora recently met Mike along the Rock Creek Trail to talk all things trails and connections while talking more about the ongoing Rock Creek Corridor Study Phase II and Mike’s new venture, Kansas Trails Inc. 

Read more about Mike’s work with Kansas Trails Inc. and how his work in Mission shaped how our trails and parks systems look now in this article from the Johnson County Post.

See Mike’s full interview in Mission: