"We are truly in the fight of our lives to protect our national parks. Ed is a tested leader and ideally suited to tackle the many challenges we face,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, NPCA's President & CEO
Ed Stierli
Washington, DC – The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) today announced that Ed Stierli has been named the organization’s new Vice President of Government Affairs. Ed will lead advocacy efforts to advance the organization’s legislative and administrative priorities to safeguard America’s national parks. His leadership will help champion a future where every park has the staffing, funding and support it needs, not only to protect these treasured places today, but to preserve them for generations to come.
Ed brings more than 15 years of experience running local, state, and federal advocacy initiatives and political campaigns focused on environmental protection and education. Since 2021, he has served as NPCA’s Senior Regional Director for the Mid-Atlantic region, leading a talented team dedicated to protecting parks across five states and the District of Columbia, while partnering closely with colleagues throughout the Northeast region.
During his time in this role, Ed has helped manage numerous successful campaigns to advance federal and state park-protection policies, establish new national park sites, secure funding for critical projects and defend parks and historic places from development threats.
“Ed’s leadership and commitment have strengthened NPCA’s impact across the region and beyond, and we know how tremendously valuable his expertise will be in this new role. We are truly in the fight of our lives to protect our national parks. Ed is a tested leader and ideally suited to tackle the many challenges we face,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, President and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association.
Ed first joined NPCA in 2012 as part of the Mid-Atlantic team, where he coordinated conservation outreach and advocacy efforts throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed and launched the successful “Freedom to Float” campaign. He later served as campaign director for NPCA’s “Find Your Voice” initiative, which engaged the next generation of park advocates during the National Park Service Centennial.
Between his two tenures at NPCA, Ed served as Senior Director of State & Electoral Campaigns for the Save the Children Action Network. There, he expanded the organization’s field program to 17 states and led state and federal advocacy campaigns that secured billions of dollars in new investments for early childhood education, child nutrition programs and lifesaving assistance for children around the world. His additional experience includes roles with the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Alliance for Climate Protection (now the Climate Reality Project), where he further developed his expertise in public policy, advocacy, and coalition building.
“I am incredibly excited for this next chapter. Having spent years fighting for our parks and historic sites in the Mid-Atlantic, I know firsthand what it takes to win tough battles, and I’m ready to apply that experience to parks nationwide. I’m proud to stand with NPCA and continue our work as the most fearless, outspoken advocates for national parks. We have more than 107 years of success and hard-fought victories behind us, and we won’t stop now,” said Ed Stierli.
Originally from New Jersey, Ed began his career as a middle school English teacher in Louisiana. He holds a Bachelor of Science in History and Political Science from Florida State University and a master’s in public policy from George Mason University. Ed lives just outside Annapolis, Maryland, with his wife and three children. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing on the Chesapeake Bay.
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About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its nearly 1.9 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.
