Washington, D.C.—The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) today announced that Tom Kiernan, president for the last 12 years, will be leaving the organization this summer to lead the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation headquartered in Concord, N.H. This state-wide foundation provides $34 million a year in grants to help support and guide the civic agenda in the state.
“NPCA is an extraordinary organization that I have had the privilege to lead for the last 12 years,” said Kiernan. “From helping to ensure that the National Park Service has strong management policies to increasing funding for our national parks and monuments to convening the National Parks Second Century Commission, NPCA has had and will continue to have long-lasting successes in protecting and enhancing America’s national parks for present and future generations.”
Tom will remain with NPCA until the middle of June to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.
NPCA’s Board of Trustees is forming a Search Committee and will be hiring a national search firm to assist in the selection process for Tom’s successor.
“While the Board is deeply saddened to lose Tom after 12 great years leading NPCA, we fully understand and respect his desire to return to a place that is important to him and his family and to take on a new set of challenges,” said Alan Lacy, chairman of NPCA’s Board of Trustees.
Over the last 12 years, Tom Kiernan has built a strong leadership team, and increased the size of the organization dramatically, increasing the field and regional offices from seven to 24, the number of staff from 65 to 165, and the size of the annual budgets from $17 million to $33 million. NPCA, the nonpartisan, independent membership organization, will continue this year to engage a growing constituency in its mission to protect and enhance America’s National Park System.
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