All Good Things...

Editor’s Note: In July, NPCA’s President and CEO Theresa Pierno announced her decision to step down, and she will remain at the helm until her successor is named in early 2026, when she will assist with the transition. In the forthcoming issue of National Parks magazine, mailing now, she wrote her final letter to NPCA members. We’re reprinting it here to share her reflections with all of our supporters.

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FAREWELL FOR NOW

After 21 years at NPCA and more than a decade serving as the first woman to lead this century-old organization, the time has come to say goodbye. But how do you bid farewell to a place, to a cause and to the people who mean so much to you?

I must admit that I was struggling a bit to find the right words before help arrived in the form of a letter from a member ― quite fittingly named Hope ― whose message touched my heart.

“Over the years I have read and reread your President’s Outlook. Your words are passionate, truthful, articulate, respectful and inspiring. They are evidence of your deep love of our national parks,” she wrote. “I want to express my heartfelt thanks to you for your leadership and to wish you Godspeed in whatever is next for you.”

If I measured my time here only by the numbers, I might consider how much NPCA has grown in both size and influence. The organization’s budget has increased by one-third, and our combined members and supporters now number 1.9 million. I know that I will be leaving an NPCA that stands on solid ground and is poised for further success in the years to come.

But as my time here winds down, it’s the faces and places — not figures — that I keep returning to. I am feeling grateful for and proud of everything we’ve done together for the parks and for the people who love them. With great conviction, we fought, and won, so many battles — in communities, courtrooms and the halls of Congress — to defend wildlife and wild spaces. We led the charge to create new park sites that help tell a more complete American story, that don’t shy away from difficult chapters of our past, and that serve as essential places of learning and healing. And we ensured that the energy and passion of young people will continue to fuel this organization and the national parks movement for generations to come.

Just days before writing this note, I had the opportunity to gather one last time with NPCA’s staff. Together, we listened and learned and laughed ― and I realized that perhaps the greatest thing I leave behind is a community of people who are deeply committed to our mission, our core values and each other. The work this organization does may be more difficult now than ever, but we were built for moments like these. It has been the honor of my professional life to have shared this stretch of trail, through the many ups and downs, with all of you.

With gratitude,
Theresa Pierno