Who We Are: Regional Staff
Sean Smith, MS Regional Director
Growing up Sean enjoyed many family trips to national parks. From the Everglades to Denali, Sean's parents believed it important for their two boys to learn about their nation's history, culture, and environment. There was no better classroom for this education than the national parks. After college (Sean holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Washington and an M.S. in Natural Resource Management from Central Washington University) Sean worked for Bluewater Network as the Public Lands Director for nearly eight years, focusing primarily on the impact of motorized recreation upon public lands and waterways. Sean joined NPCA in October 2005 and is responsible for managing NPCA's Northwest Regional Office. In March of 2008, Sean won a share of the Department of Interior's Cooperative Conservation Award. The Cooperative Conservation Award is Interior's highest award presented to private citizens and organizational partners who support the agency’s mission and demonstrate significant contributions to its programs.
Sean has also worked as a seasonal ranger for both the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). His time with NPS and USFS allowed him to live in some of America's most spectacular places - Glacier National Park, Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument, Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, and Yellowstone National Park.
Sean is also a private pilot and attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. In his spare time, Sean runs www.WildArtStudio.com, an online art studio featuring his work. He currently lives in Western Washington with his wife and two children.
Email: ssmith@npca.org
Shane Farnor, Program and Volunteer Coordinator
Shane Farnor grew up in East Tennessee, a short distance from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where he often visited with his family. He also spent his childhood going to other national park sites, like Cumberland Gap, Andrew Johnson, Fort Sumter, Appomattox Court House, and Big South Fork. In 1995, Shane received a B.S. in Forestry with a concentration in Wildland Recreation from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Since then, he has worked for Tennessee State Parks, Metro Parks of Nashville, Montana State University and Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo. During this time, Shane mostly worked as a naturalist/environmental educator with diverse audiences.
Shane came to NPCA's Northwest Regional Office as a volunteer in January 2004. He joined the staff in October 2004 as Program and Volunteer Coordinator. He was the second full-time staff person to be added to the growing Northwest Regional Office. When Shane is not working to protect national parks, he can be found writing poetry, reading, cooking, hiking, camping and exploring the parks. To date, he has visited over 90 national park units.
David G. Graves, Northwest Field Representative
David Gilman Graves grew up in Kentucky where his family took frequent vacations to visit National Parks, mainly Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Following graduation from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, with a degree in history, David took a 10,000-mile road trip across the United States. Along the way, he visited 27 national parks and fell in love with the Northwest. David then attended law school at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon. He graduated with a JD and a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law and was awarded the Environmental Leadership Award for his work on environmental issues while in law school.
David has previously worked with the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, Environmental Protection Agency, Advocates for the West, Friends of the River, California Hydropower Reform Coalition, and most recently with the Sierra Nevada Forest Protection Campaign as Conservation and Communications Coordinator. While not working to save the parks, he can be found hiking or backpacking with his wife Katie Kolarich.
Email: dgraves@npca.org
David Patton, Regional Director of Development
Dave Patton joined the NPCA staff in February 2008 as the Regional Director of Development for the Northwest. Growing up on the east coast, Dave experienced the rich cultural and natural heritage that our national park units provide. Whether on a school field trip to Valley Forge or vacations to Acadia National Park, Dave inherited an appreciation for what these great parks symbolize as the best of America's treasures. Living in the Northwest (Seattle) has only increased that appreciation. Seattle is in a perfect location with several great parks within a few hour’s drive and dozens that can be reached for a long weekend. Dave is excited to connect NPCA’s important conservation work to a greater Northwest community.
Dave brings a strong background in non-profit fundraising and management. Prior to NPCA, Dave worked with Seattle-based Cascade Land Conservancy as Director of Individual Giving and held several positions at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., raising critical funds to support their programs. Dave also worked as Associate Sales and Marketing Director with Maine WoodWorks, a furniture-manufacturing unit of Creative Work Systems, a social service agency located in southern Maine. Dave is humbled to be working for NPCA and supporting a great mission.
Email: dpatton@npca.org
