Carrying on Our National Park Legacy

Bunker Hill Monument in Boston, Massachusetts, site of the first major battle of the American Revolution on June 17, 1775 and part of the Boston National Historical Park. Photo © Jorge Salcedo/Dreamstime.

Event Details:

National parks preserve our landscapes, history and culture — but without their continued protection and support, the heart of the American story is lost. 

On March 24, join us for a virtual Park Talk to learn how you can carry on this proud legacy of protecting our parks and all they stand for. Hear the latest on efforts to censor and erase history and science in our national parks and how we can work together to stop them. And learn about a new bipartisan effort to fund important maintenance needs in our parks and how we can make this financial investment a reality.

NPCA’s new President and CEO Tiernan Sittenfeld will lead a conversation with Alan Spears, Senior Director of Cultural Resources, and John Garder, Senior Director of Appropriations, about the current state of parks, how NPCA is fighting for their protection and how you can join us to make your voice heard. 

Event Details
WHEN: March 24 at 7:00 PM ET
WHERE: Online via Zoom; a link will be provided upon RSVP
 

For questions about registration or to submit a question to our panelists in advance, please contact Abbey at [email protected].
 

RSVP

Featured Speakers:

Tiernan Sittenfeld, President & CEO

Tiernan Sittenfeld joined the National Parks Conservation Association as President and CEO on March 1, 2026, bringing nearly 30 years of experience in high-impact advocacy, electoral and issue campaigns, strategic communications, fundraising, and coalition-building. A widely respected leader within the national conservation community, she is known for her effectiveness on Capitol Hill, her trusted relationships with elected and appointed officials, and her deep partnerships with coalition partners across the country. Sittenfeld’s leadership and strategic advocacy have contributed to significant conservation and climate victories, including passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Great American Outdoors Act. As Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the League of Conservation Voters (LCV), she built and led the Government Affairs team, growing it from two staff to a highly effective team of 20. A longtime member of LCV’s Executive Team, she played a central role in the organization’s expansion—from roughly 40 staff to nearly 200—and has overseen all of the organization’s issue advocacy, spanning climate, clean energy, air and water protection, conservation and public land defense.

Alan Spears, Senior Director of Cultural Resources

Alan joined NPCA in 1999 and is currently the Senior Director of Cultural Resources in the Government Affairs department. He serves as NPCA's resident historian and cultural resources expert. Alan is the only staff person to ever be rescued from a tidal marsh by a Park Police helicopter. Alan worked for NPCA’s Enhancing Cultural Diversity program managing the National Parks Community Partners program from 1999 to 2003. This initiative was designed to connect national parks in Boston, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco more closely to racially and ethnically diverse constituents. The Community Partners created a ground-breaking youth employment program, a guide to understanding the National Park Service hiring process, and launched a volunteer service initiative in northeast Washington, DC, which ultimately grew into a highly successful friends group. After joining the Government Affairs department Alan gained introduction and passage of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Funding Re-authorization Act of 2008. More recently, as a part of the Government Affairs department, Alan has led, co-led, or supported five successful national monument campaigns including Fort Monroe, Harriet Tubman, Charles Young, and Pullman. Alan is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC, and his writing has appeared in the Civil War Times Illustrated and National Parks magazine. 

John Garder, Senior Director of Buget & Appropriations

John Garder is Senior Director of Budget & Appropriations at NPCA. For fifteen years, he’s been a budget analyst and advocate for more adequate funding for the National Park Service, speaking with diverse audiences, including media outlets, Congress, the White House, and the Department of the Interior.

John came to NPCA after eight years of DC-based conservation advocacy for public interest groups. His accomplishments include playing a key role in passage of the Great American Outdoors Act, securing significant media attention and congressional support for government shutdowns, and his research and quotes appearing in thousands of media outlets. He has an M.S. in Resource, Policy, and Behavior from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment and a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder. In his free time, he is an avid outdoor recreationist on America’s public lands.