Meet the Staff
Ken Tichelbaut, Vice President, Center for Park Management
Ken’s love of the National Parks began with a hike on the Appalachian Trail and has led to a lifelong quest to visit all of the Parks. His wife, Barb, shares this passion, as they began their marriage by hiking Isle Royal for a honeymoon adventure. They are joined by their three children in seeking out new park destinations for family vacations. Trained in Horticulture and Forestry Sciences, Ken worked with Cooperative Extension as Regional Specialist and taught nursery management at SUNY Cobleskill. Moving into marketing with Ball Horticultural/PanAmerican Seeds, he managed international relationships with partner firms which eventually led Ken to pursue a Masters of Management at Kellogg – Northwestern University. The core of Ken’s work is built on empowering leaders to engage and equip teams to become best-of-class competitors. He has contributed as consulting partner, president, publisher, executive director, professor, and guest lecturer. Working with alliance partners in the US, Europe, and Central America, his clients span diverse industries. Prior to full time consulting, Ken led a 10 yr strategic turnaround initiative that resulted in print and web launches, and ultimately contributed to attaining the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
Julia Eiferman, Program Coordinator, Center for Park Management
Julia joined NPCA in August of 2007 as an Assistant for Corporate and Foundation relations. She has been with CPM since April of 2009 and looks forward to working towards NPCA’s mission from a new perspective. A Boston native, Julia’s love of the outdoors was shaped by summers in New England and trips to the western National Parks. She is also enchanted by Chile’s national parks after trips to Patagonia and the Atacama desert. She graduated from Bates College in Maine with a BA in Environmental Studies and a minor in philosophy.
Michael Heaney, Deputy Vice President, Center for Park Management
An alum of NPCA's Business Plan program, Michael joined NPCA on a full-time basis in 2002 to head the implementation of management strategies in parks- a program that helps parks to implement management solutions to a variety of financial, operational and organizational issues. To date, Michael has now visited over 100 national parks and led projects in around twenty national parks. Michael shares his love of parks with his wife Tipton- a former Course Director for Outward Bound and now a practicing physician. Prior to joining NPCA, Michael gained extensive international experience in the business arena- working in Europe and Asia, where he led projects in enterprise-wide process and organization change, procurement and strategic sourcing. A native of Scotland, Mike holds a Bachelor's degree from De Montfort University in England and a MBA with concentrations in finance and technology management from The Graduate School of Management at the University of California in Davis. Michael's pursuit of the outdoors is fuelled by his interest in photography, sailing and as a SCUBA diving instructor.
Stephanie Hester, Analyst, Center for Park Management
Stephanie joined NPCA’s Northern Rockies team in February 2007, reinvigorating its advocacy presence with the 13 monuments, battlefields, and historic sites in the region. In March 2009, she joined CPM to apply that experience and her education to park management issues. Stephanie earned a BA in Environmental Studies from the Evergreen State College and a MBA from the University of Montana. Prior to NPCA, Stephanie worked for 10 years in the publishing industry as a marketing manager and acquisitions editor specializing in books on outdoor recreation, nature, and regional history. She maintains those interests as a freelance project manager, editor, and published author. She also worked for the Washington and Montana State Legislatures and Atmosphere Alliance. Stephanie lives in Helena, MT, with her husband and two sons, and spends her spare time exploring the outdoors, cooking, and traveling.
Geoff Kish, Director, Center for Park Management
An alumnus of the NPS Business Plan Initiative, Geoff joined NPCA in July 2009 to continue efforts to enhance park service management practices. Geoff is motivated by opportunities to drive environmental conservation through the infusion of best practice business management. He brings public sector experience in strategic planning and change management, previously holding positions in IBM’s Global Business Services and at World Wildlife Fund. Geoff received a Bachelor of Arts from the College of William and Mary and an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He has traveled to six continents, enjoys scuba diving, backpacking, and spending time with his wife and dog.
Kristen McConnell, Director, Center for Park Management
Kristen grew up vacationing every summer and winter in national parks in Texas, New Mexico and Colorado, and joined CPM in January 2008 in order to support the parks in a new and different way. Kristen came to NPCA from Environmental Defense, where she researched issues related to sustainable fisheries management in the Gulf of Mexico. She earned a Masters in Public Affairs from the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin, and worked for the National Park Service as a Business Plan Consultant and then Partnership Researcher for the Northeast Regional Office during her time in grad school. She has extensive experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, and board development as well, and received her Bachelor's degree from New York University. Kristen spends her free time gardening, hiking, camping and rock climbing with her husband and two dogs.
Nusrat Mojumder, Program Coordinator, Center for Park Management
Nusrat was drawn to NPCA for its mission, and joined the organization as a Prospect Development Coordinator in October 2008. She currently serves as a Team Coordinator for the Center for Park Management supporting the Center's work and activities, including coordination and administration activities for CPM's senior leadership. Nusrat received her Bachelors of Science Degree in Family Science from the School of Public Health at University of Maryland. She has worked in a variety of public health and non-profit organizations, most recently as the main Council liaison for all Corporate Sponsors as a Development Assistant working directly with the Corporate Relations Director at the Global Health Council. Prior to working for the Council, Nusrat worked at the Correction and Rehabilitation Center facilitating positive change and crisis intervention through case-management, implementing treatment plans and evaluating programs. Nusrat has a passion for art and design, and enjoys sketching and painting.
Hayley Mortimer, Senior Director, Center for Park Management
As an alum from NPCA’s Business Plan Initiative, Hayley joined NPCA’s Center for Park Management to help develop sustainable strategies that meet park management needs. Prior to joining NPCA, Hayley was an Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton in the Economic and Business Analysis Group. Her work primarily focused on providing market research, financial analysis and asset management strategies for the NPS, BLM and the Forest Service. Before Booz Allen, Hayley was the Managing Partner and Co-Owner of Ripple Effect Consulting. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and a MPA from Columbia University’s School for International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Her love and commitment to national parks began in 1997 as a member of a trails crew in Yellowstone where she worked on back country trails for a season. Hayley is married to Greg Findley, also a former BPI alum. When she is not chasing after her 11-month old son Parker, Hayley spends her time telemark skiing in the Rocky Mountains and traveling to Latin America to scope out trips for her husband’s international adventure travel company.
Minda Polser, Program Coordinator, Center for Park Management
As an archaeology lover, rock climber, and Wilderness First Responder, Minda was drawn to NPCA for its mission and ideals. She joined the organization in December 2006 after experiencing several national parks both as a climber and interested visitor. Minda has worked as a climbing instructor, coach, and team-building facilitator and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a BA in Archaeological Anthropology.
Devon Radosevich, Analyst, Center for Park Management
Devon joined NPCA in February 2008. As an avid traveler and backpacker, Devon's passion for protected areas and love for the outdoors was shaped by family vacations to the Western National Parks and trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in her home state of Minnesota. Prior to joining NPCA Devon worked, studied, and lived abroad, experiencing protected areas in Costa Rica, New Zealand, and Australia. She has also worked as a manager in academic research libraries for several years, and interned with The Nature Conservancy and World Resources Institute as part of her studies. Devon holds a B.S. in Recreation Resource Management with a concentration in Resource Based Tourism from the College of Natural Resources at the University of Minnesota. She is currently completing her last few courses at the George Washington University for a Masters of Tourism Administration concentrating in Sustainable Destination Management.
Jodie Riesenberger, Program Director, Center for Park Management
Jodie joined NPCA in the fall of 2004. As Program Director she is involved with many aspects of the Center’s program work as well as fundraising efforts. She has a background that includes both programmatic and fundraising work in international development, population and conservation. Prior to joining NPCA, Jodie worked at the Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) where she was responsible for foundation relations. Prior to that, she worked at Population Action International and Conservation International on population, health and environment issues. She holds a Masters in Public Health/International Development from George Washington University. She conducted her graduate fieldwork in the Peruvian Tropical Andes. She has a BA from State University of New York at Oswego. She is an avid runner, occasional triathlete and general outdoor enthusiast.
Monica Rosenberg, Management Analyst, Center for Park Management
Monica joined NPCA in July of 2007. As a National Parks enthusiast, Monica spends a great deal of her leisure time exploring, hiking, and camping in the parks. Now she is lucky enough to have a career that combines her passions for both business strategy and park appreciation. Monica graduated in 2004 with a B.S. from the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce and worked previously as Compliance Manager for a Business Intelligence software company in Virginia.
Margaret Ryan, Associate Director, Center for Park Management
Margaret joined NPCA in the winter of 2008. As an Associate Director, she enjoys using her diverse background to help parks think strategically on both systemic and park-specific issues. Her background includes a mix of scientific and business consulting in the private and non-profit sectors. She most recently worked as a business consultant for an organic dried fruit company in Uganda on behalf of Traidlinks, an Irish non-profit that provides business support to small companies in the developing world. Prior to that, Margaret worked as an Environmental Scientist for Waterborne Environmental, a boutique scientific and regulatory consulting firm, and as a disaster relief volunteer post-Hurricane Katrina. She holds an M.B.A. from University College Dublin’s Smurfit School of Business and a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from Iowa State University. Happy to be back in the country after some years abroad, Margaret is looking forward to putting her tent to good use in the beautiful parks of home.
Charity Self, Director, Center for Park Management
Charity joined CPM in March 2008 as a Director. Charity brings over seven years of consulting experience to help with park management issues. She also has five years of experience in the non-profit sector handling public relations, media relations, and special events. Charity holds a B.A. in Political Science from Elon University and a M.A. in International Relations, with a concentration in public policy, from Baylor University. As part of her graduate studies, Charity worked on ecotourism projects in Belize and Guatemala.
T.C. Sottek, Program Coordinator, Center for Park Management
T.C. joined NPCA in August 2008 after two consecutive seasonal internships. Prior to joining CPM, T.C. worked on sustainable funding issues with NPCA's Government Affairs department. His affection and appreciation for the natural world developed while attending a small liberal-arts school situated on the serene St. Mary’s river in Southern Maryland and, most recently, on a trip to the top of Maui’s Haleakala National Park. Current personal pursuits include a budding interest in wilderness photography and videography. In 2008 T.C. received a B.A. in Philosophy from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, with a focus on issues of mind and embodiment.
Cyndi Szymanski, Director, Center for Park Management
Cyndi joined NPCA in March of 2008 after working for 8 years in the Washington, DC office of the National Park Service. Originally hired as a Presidential Management Fellow, she worked on national program management issues with the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program. In addition to working on outdoor recreation issues, Cyndi served as a training manager, worked on the EPA/NPS Groundwork partnership, and managed the service-wide Challenge Cost Share program. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco working on an Environmental Education project in the proposed Eastern High Atlas National Park. Cyndi has a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from Cornell University, a M.S. from SUNY's College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and an M.P.A. from Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Cyndi lives in Takoma Park, Maryland with her husband, two daughters and dog. She spends her free time in the Appalachians trying to get herself and her family outdoors as much as possible.
Jamie Varner, Senior Director, Center for Park Management
Jamie joined the Center for Park Management in March 2008 driven by a love of nature and a desire to help make the world a better place. Immediately prior to joining CPM he was with Hertrick & Associates, a public accounting firm that specializes in providing Controller and CFO level services to privately held businesses. Jamie has also owned and operated a $6 million manufacturing company, been Vice President and a Financial/Operations Analyst for a $600 million distributor, and worked with several early stage companies. Prior to starting his business career he earned Bachelor of Science degrees in both Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from the University of Delaware, and a MBA from Wharton. Jamie is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an active license with the State of Maryland. His favorite outdoor activities are hiking, kayaking, and skiing; and getting his family outdoors as much as possible spending several weeks each year in the Adirondacks.
Stephanie Wight, Associate Director, Center for Park Management
Stephanie joined NPCA in June of 2009. Prior to joining NPCA, Stephanie worked in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors building off a variety of experiences and gaining skills in project management, communications, and strategic planning. She holds an MBA and MA in International Environmental Policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a BA in International Political Economy from the University of Puget Sound. While in graduate school she focused her studies on the nexus of business and the environment working on numerous projects with protected areas around the world including strategic planning for a marine protected area in Fiji and analyzing tourism markets in Baja California, Mexico, and the South Pacific. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Stephanie is looking forward to exploring her new home city, Washington DC, and the East Coast.
Last Update: August 5, 2009
