- NPCA Region: Midwest
Crystal M.C. Davis is an accomplished executive and public policy leader with more than two decades of experience spanning conservation, government affairs, environmental justice, community engagement and organizational leadership. As Senior Midwest Regional Director for the National Parks Conservation Association, Crystal leads NPCA’s work across an 11-state region encompassing 53 national park sites and some of the nation’s most significant Great Lakes, Mississippi River, natural and cultural landscapes.
In her role, Crystal provides strategic leadership for NPCA’s Midwest programs, advocacy, partnerships and external engagement. She works alongside communities, policymakers, park leaders, philanthropic partners and conservation organizations to protect national parks and surrounding landscapes while strengthening the connections between people and the places that shape their lives. Her leadership reflects a longstanding belief that protecting great places requires meaningful relationships with the people and communities connected to them.
Prior to joining NPCA, Crystal served as Vice President of Policy & Strategic Engagement at the Alliance for the Great Lakes, where she helped shape organizational strategy and led policy, government affairs, and regional engagement efforts. Her work advanced priorities related to Lake Erie, Great Lakes restoration, clean and safe drinking water, water infrastructure and environmental justice while strengthening relationships among policymakers, community leaders, and environmental partners throughout the region.
Crystal’s career also includes leadership and policy roles in state government and higher education. As Federal Relations Director for Kent State University, she established the university’s federal affairs presence in Washington, D.C. and developed strategies to advance institutional priorities with Congress and the federal government. Earlier in her career, she held positions with the Ohio General Assembly, the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, experiences that helped shape her approach to bipartisan policymaking, public service, and relationship-centered leadership.
Throughout her career, Crystal has been recognized for her ability to build coalitions across differences, translate complex policy challenges into meaningful action and elevate voices historically underrepresented in environmental decision-making. Her work sits at the intersection of people, place, policy, and purpose, with a particular interest in ensuring that conservation protects not only extraordinary landscapes but also the history, culture and communities connected to them.
Crystal has contributed her leadership to numerous civic, environmental, and nonprofit organizations and has served as an Ohio Lake Erie Commissioner. Her professional and civic leadership has earned numerous honors, including recognition as a 2026 Crain’s Cleveland Business Sustainability Leader, 2026 Who’s Who in Black Cleveland Corporate Brass Honoree, Crain’s Cleveland Business 40 Under 40 honoree, and Great Lakes Protection Fund Trailblazer.
A graduate of Kent State University and proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Crystal lives in Northeast Ohio with her family. She is passionate about the Great Lakes, America’s public lands and ensuring that future generations inherit both extraordinary places and a deeper sense of belonging within them.
