National Park Foundation
Chartered by Congress in 1967, the National Park Foundation is the official nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, generating private support and building strategic partnerships to protect and enhance America’s national parks for present and future generations.
As a Senior Coordinator, Strategic Communications, I’m responsible for amplifying the work and stories of our grantees, park partners, national parks, and NPF itself. This includes providing grantees with communications toolkits to effectively talk about and share their stories, writing press releases for NPF’s newsroom, and pitching reporters across the country to help inspire people to connect with and protect America’s national parks.
Youth Engagement and Education
The National Park Foundation funds educational programs and park-based experiences that create enjoyable and meaningful opportunities for youth that bring classroom learning to life, spark a lifelong love of the outdoors, and inspire the next generation of park stewards. Some grants support park partners in introducing young people and their families to fishing, highlighting both the cultural and ecological significance of local public lands; others connect students across the country to national parks through immersive field trips, classroom programming, and hands-on experiences.
Some of the earned media placements I’ve helped coordinate and secure — amplifying NPF spokespeople, park partners, and corporate partners — include:
The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) represents one of the most important, bipartisan investments in public lands in American history. Signed into law in 2020, this historic legislation established the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (Legacy Restoration Fund) to help tackle decades of deferred maintenance and modernize beloved parks’ facilities nationwide.
I helped create owned content for NPF to champion reauthorization of the Legacy Restoration Fund (which expired in September 2025), highlighting some of its many success stories and the importance of its renewal.
Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) Legacy Restoration Fund
Collective Campaign for National Parks, Communications Toolkit
In summer 2025, the National Park Foundation awarded grants to park partners as part of The Collective Campaign for National Parks — a nationwide initiative to grow organizational capacity and elevate philanthropic support for America’s national parks, ensuring these treasured places thrive for generations to come. These grants are part of a larger, joint effort between the National Park Foundation, the National Park Friends Alliance, and more than 100 park partners to collectively raise $4.5 billion by 2028 and strengthen the philanthropic foundation of our national parks.
I helped create a communications toolkit to support partners with effectively and consistently sharing news about these grants, providing resources and templates for social media, owned content, and earned media outreach. As a result, partners produced 40+ social posts, secured 11 earned media placements in local and trade outlets, and published seven blogs.
2025 National Christmas Tree Lighting
Each year, thousands gather in Washington, D.C. to celebrate a family-friendly musical tradition: the National Christmas Tree Lighting. Hosted by the National Park Foundation in partnership with the National Park Service, one of the most beloved cornerstones of this event is the Pathway of Peace. This luminous walkway is lined with 56 trees representing every U.S. state, territory, and the District of Columbia, each adorned with one-of-a-kind handmade ornaments designed by students from across the country.
I helped create a communications toolkit for schools that contributed ornaments to the 2025 National Christmas Tree Lighting, including materials for creating press releases, social media guidance, and talking points. To supplement the initial outreach conducted by schools, I conducted targeted outreach for schools that had not yet received media coverage. These efforts resulted in 98 media placements representing 41 schools.
