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del.icio.usA Message from Vin Cipolla
Published on 06/17/2008
June 17, 2008
A Message from Vin Cipolla
President and CEO
National Park Foundation
While a change is several months away, I wanted to announce that early in 2009 I will be stepping down as President and CEO of the National Park Foundation to become the President of the Municipal Art Society of New York.
Throughout my adult life, I have been devoted to conservation and preservation, as well as to the importance of art and education in civic life. It has been an extraordinary honor to serve these interests over the last four years through my work at the National Park Foundation, and before that, at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Since 1893, the Municipal Art Society has been New York City's premier preservation and planning organization and the advocate for excellence in urban design and planning, historic preservation, contemporary architecture, and public art. I'm looking forward to 2009 and focusing my energy on the dynamic issues and opportunities within the built and natural environments of New York City.
Until then, my full focus and energy will remain on the opportunities at hand for the National Park Foundation and together we will carry out one of the most ambitious agendas in our history – supporting the needs of the parks and the visitors with more conservation and education programs; introducing additional public outreach activities and improved communications vehicles; increasing coordination with friends organizations and other partners; and, redoubling our efforts through the Centennial Initiative to leverage and re-catalyze the legacy of philanthropic support for parks. The National Park Foundation Summit on Partnerships and Philanthropy last year continues to produce new strategies and strengthen relationships for carrying forward this work.
More and more Americans are engaging with the parks in meaningful ways and discovering how much the parks mean to the quality of our day-to-day lives, nourishing both our bodies and spirits. As these citizens become passionately engaged in the health and preservation of our parks, a strong national philanthropy ready to fuel and direct these passions becomes an even greater imperative.
In the coming months the National Park Foundation will expand our work with the National Park Service and the American public in conservation and education, particularly through channels that reach urban youth. This weekend, the Honorary Chair of the National Park Foundation, Mrs. Laura Bush, will be in Boston to introduce the Foundation's sixth First Bloom project this year, connecting urban children to nature and teaching them how they can be directly involved in making their parks greener.
We will also step up our efforts to bring unprecedented financial support to our national parks. Signature fundraising events, including our September 2008 gala, and new national cause-marketing programs, like the one we just concluded in partnership with Macy’s, will raise the profile of park philanthropy, reach new audiences of support and deliver greatly needed cash resources. In addition, the Foundation continues to invest time and resources in the research and structure for comprehensive national fundraising for parks in coordination with the Centennial Initiative and the 100 Year Anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016.
The success of the National Park Foundation and its role in securing the next century for our parks is due to the tremendous commitment of those who live and breathe this work every day – the National Park Foundation Board of Directors, led by Chairman and Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, and Citizen Chairman, Regan Gammon; the men and women of the National Park Service and their Director Mary Bomar; the talented National Park Foundation staff and the thousands of donors who passionately share our commitment to a vital National Park system. When the time comes, I look forward to working with everyone to ensure a smooth transition.
I am so proud of what we have accomplished together and I am honored to serve you as President and CEO of the National Park Foundation for the months to come. I look forward to the years ahead of continued commitment, partnership and achievement in helping our parks and public places be their best.
