NPCA's Speakers Bureau
NPCA's Speakers Bureau consists of staff experts on issues ranging from air pollution and global warming in our national parks to historic preservation. A list of current engagements appears below. To invite an expert to speak to your group, please contact NPCA Media Relations Coordinator Perry Wheeler.
Speaker Bios and Photos:
DATE: April 8, 2009
WHO: Tom Kiernan, NPCA President
WHAT: Discussing the opportunity for the new administration and Congress to restore our national parks, including those in Washington State, at a Rotary Club of Seattle meeting. Tom will talk about the role of national parks in the economic stimulus package; the historic role parks have played through the CCC; and the important role parks will play in society moving towards the second century in 2016.
WHERE: Seattle, Washington
DATE: December 14, 2008
WHO: Ron Tipton, NPCA Senior Vice President of Programs
WHAT: As we prepare for the centennial of the National Park Service, and our country shifts toward a new administration and Congress, Ron Tipton will examine the challenges and opportunities facing our national parks at the 2008 Association of National Park Rangers Ranger Rendezvous. These tough economic times call for innovative thinking about how we can restore our underfunded, understaffed national parks that continue to face threats like climate change, development, and invasive species. Ron will detail a national park service program built on the AmeriCorps model that would provide low-cost employment to young people and aging baby boomers, and help to restore our threatened national parks.
WHERE: Santa Fe, New Mexico
DATE: October 1, 2008
WHO: Tom Kiernan, NPCA President
WHAT: Presenting an overview of NPCA, national park issues, the centennial of the National Park System and the Centennial Challenge, and how this milestone could support African American history and a more diverse audience in the parks, as part of the opening plenary session, "Hidden Treasures of the National Park Service: Discovering African American History in our National Parks," at the 2008 Association for the Study of African American Life & History Annual Conference.
WHERE: Birmingham, Alabama
DATE: September 23, 2008
WHO: Ron Tipton, NPCA Senior Vice President of Programs
WHAT: Presenting on the future role of the National Park System in urban settings, as part of a plenary session at the 2008 International Urban Parks Conference.
WHERE: Pittsburgh, PA
DATE: September 3, 2008
WHO: Dr. James Nations, NPCA Vice President for the Center for State of the Parks
WHAT: Presenting on the goals, methodology, and research findings of NPCA's Center for the State of the Parks, as part of the National Park Service's "First Wednesday Presentation" series.
WHERE: Washington, DC
DATE: August 26, 2008
WHO: Theresa Pierno, Senior Vice President of Regional Programs
WHAT: Presenting an overview of NPCA, the centennial of the National Park System, both national and local challenges we face, and key pieces of legislation, as part of a meeting of the Rotary Club of Annapolis.
WHERE: Annapolis, Maryland
DATE: April 26, 2008
WHO: Tom Kiernan, NPCA President
WHAT: Presenting on global conservation issues and parks, while providing insight into conservation policy, practices and culture, as part of a panel discussion at the Student Conservation Association's national summit: EarthVision.
WHERE: Chevy Chase, Maryland
DATE: April 25, 2008
WHO: Catharine Gilliam, NPCA Virginia Program Manager
WHAT: Presenting on the importance of preserving the national parks for future generations, while focusing on the issues the parks face such as air pollution, deterioration of the environment, and damage caused by off-road vehicles.
WHERE: Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria, VA
DATE: April 23, 2008
WHO: Alexander Brash, NPCA Northeast Regional Director
WHAT: The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation will feature "A Natural History of New York City's Parks and the Environment" as part of its Uncommon Ground panel series on how the future of the park system can grow and flourish, even against the backdrop of economic uncertainty. NPCA Regional Director Alex Brash will moderate a panel discussion on the future of "nature" in New York City with author and landscape preservationist Elizabeth Barlow Rogers, landscape architect and ecologist Alexander Felson, and President of the Council on the Environment Marcel Van Ooyen. The topic was inspired by the recent release of the book "Natural History of New York City's Parks and Great Gull Island," which was collaboratively written and published by NPCA, the Linnaean Society of New York, and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.
WHERE: Arsenal Gallery, Central Park, New York, NY
DATE: April 17, 2008
WHO: Steve Thompson, NPCA Senior Program Manager
WHAT: Presenting on Geotourism and Montana's first regional project based on the concept, the Crown of the Continent Geotourism MapGuide, at the 2008 Montana Governor's Conference on Tourism and Recreation.
WHERE: West Yellowstone, MT
DATE: April 2, 2008
WHO: Dr. James Nations, NPCA Vice President for the Center for State of the Parks
WHAT: Presenting the findings of the NPCA State of the Parks Assessments, focusing on the overarching concern of adjacent land development, at the NPS Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance training.
WHERE: Shepherdstown, WV
DATE: March 5, 2008
WHO: Laura Loomis, NPCA Deputy Vice President for Government Affairs
WHAT: Panel presentation, "Creating Bicycle Friendly National Parks", at the 2008 National Bike Summit.
WHERE: Washington, DC
DATE: March 10, 2008
WHO: Tom Kiernan, NPCA President
WHAT: Panel presentation, "Allowable Concessioner Activities Supporting Park Projects: Current Policies and Possible Alternatives", at the annual meeting of the National Park Hospitality Association discussing current views on this topic and exploring areas of consensus for Centennial projects and beyond.
WHERE: Washington, DC
DATE: March 8, 2008
WHO: Stephanie Kodish, NPCA Managing Attorney, Coal Litigation Program; and Bart Melton, NPCA Program Analyst
WHAT: Panel presentation, "Protecting National Parks & Wilderness Areas from Coal-Fired Power Plant Emissions", at the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference providing an overview of national park air pollution issues and case studies of NPCA coal plant challenges.
WHERE: University of Oregon School of Law (Eugene, Oregon)
DATE: February 21, 2008
WHO: Tom Kiernan, NPCA President
WHAT: The Seattle Garden Club has invited Tom Kiernan to give a free public lecture about the future of our national parks.
WHERE: Seattle, Washington
DATE: January 22, 2008
WHO: Tom Kiernan, NPCA President
WHAT: Presenting on the upcoming centennial and the prime opportunity to protect America's heritage, as part of Outdoor Industry Association's Thought Leader's dinner that kicks off the Outdoor Retailer show.
WHERE: Salt Lake City, Utah
DATE: October 22, 2007
WHO: Mark Wenzler, Clean Air Program Director
WHAT: Presenting an overview of the effect of global warming on national parks, and what can be done about it, as part of the Climate Information: Responding to User Needs conference.
WHERE: University of Maryland, College Park
DATE: September 26, 2007
WHO: Tom Kiernan, NPCA President
WHAT: Presenting an overview of the opportunities for restoring our national parks to the Commonwealth Club.
WHERE: San Francisco, California
DATE: September 24, 2007
WHO: John Wilson, Associate Director, NPCA Northern Rockies Regional Office
WHAT: Presenting an overview of the centennial opportunity for restoring our national parks to the Garden Club of America
WHERE: Butte, Montana
DATE: September 12, 2007
WHO: Linda Rancourt, NPCA Vice President for Communications
WHAT: Presenting an overview of the centennial opportunity for restoring our national parks, and a discussion of the effects of chronic under funding of our park system on the education of school children.
WHERE: Optimist Club of Arlington, Virginia
DATE: June 19, 2007
WHO: Tom Kiernan, NPCA President
WHAT: Presenting an overview of the opportunities for restoring our national parks as part of a panel discussion at a meeting of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
WHERE: Roanoke, Virginia
DATE: May 22, 2007
WHO: Mark Wenzler, NPCA Clean Air Program Director
WHAT: Presentation to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council about the affects of global warming on our national parks.
WHERE: Florida Keys
DATE: April 20, 2007
WHO: Kelly Courkamp, NPCA Cultural Resources Manager, Center for State of the Parks
WHAT: Panel presentation, "National Parks Conservation Association: A Laboratory for Public Historians," at the Pacific Northwest History Conference about the benefits of graduate students gaining real world experience while completing cultural resource assessments for Center for State of the Parks.
WHERE: Tacoma, Washington
DATE: April 19, 2007
WHO: Dr. James Nations, NPCA Vice President for the Center for State of the Parks
WHAT: Book signing and speech at the National Zoo about conservation issues in the Maya Tropical Forest and national parks in the U.S. Details are on the National Zoo website.
WHERE: National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
