Southwest Regional Office
Regional Staff
David Nimkin
Southwest Regional Director
David Nimkin is the Southwest Regional Director of the National Parks Conservation Association. Prior to NPCA, David has served as Chief of Staff to Salt Lake City Mayor, Rocky Anderson and partner in Confluence Associates, a private firm engaged in sustainable development projects throughout the western US and Mexico. He is the former State Director of the Utah Small Business Development Centers, a program of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. David is the founder and long time board chair of the Utah Microenterprise Loan Fund and he is the co-founder and current Board Vice Chair of Buy Local First Utah. He has served as the first Executive Director for Salt Lake Neighborhood Housing Services and as President and CEO of the Corporate Fund for Housing in Los Angeles. David is currently the Board Chair of High Country News, a paper for people who care about the West.
Kevin Dahl
Arizona Program Manager
Kevin Dahl, as NPCA’s Arizona Program Mangaer, works on issues concerning the twenty-five national park units in Arizona, including such well-known parks as Grand Canyon and Saguaro. Prior to NPCA, Kevin was executive director of Native Seeds/SEARCH, a regional group that works to preserve the genetic diversity of Southwestern Native American crops. He was also executive director of the Tucson Audubon Society, and Natural Resources Superintendent for Pima County’s Parks and Recreation Department. An alumnus of both the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, his interest in plants led him to obtain his degree in ethnobotany from Prescott College. Kevin is author of Wild Plants of the Sonoran Desert, published by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and Native Harvest: Authentic Southwestern Gardening, published by the Western National Parks Association.
Karen Hevel-Mingo
Senior Program Manager
Raised in the West, Karen spent many childhood days in Rocky Mountain, Glacier, Mesa Verde and Yellowstone National Parks. She moved to Utah to attend the University of Utah, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, a Graduate Certificate in Urban Planning and a MPA in Natural Resource Planning. As Senior Program Coordinator with the Southwest Regional Office, Karen works with Rocky Mountain and Zion National Parks on education and outreach for their “Climate Friendly Parks” program. She has also been active in opposing proposed coal-fired power plants in the Southwest including review and comments on draft environmental impact statements and coordinating the filing of amici curiae on the IPP and SPC power plants appeals in Utah. Karen also works closely with regional groups opposing coal-fired power plants, promoting clean air and renewable energy.
Cindi Roberson
Administrative Coordinator
Cindi's interest in park preservation was piqued upon undertaking the personal goal to hike each of our national parks. What began as a physical challenge quickly grew into something much more as she observed first-hand the issues facing our treasured landscapes. Growing up on the expansive plains of North Dakota and spending many of her adult years hiking the desert and canyon trails of Arizona, she recently relocated to the mountains of Park City, Utah, where she continues to relish all of the outdoor activities the Southwest offers. Cindi brings with her 20 years of experience and skills as a litigation paralegal for law firms in North Dakota and Arizona as well as business management experience. Her introduction to NPCA began as a regional volunteer, helping with many Ken Burns preview events. She jumped at the opportunity to work for NPCA when a position in the Southwest Region became available.
