Introducing our newest Board Director: Ryan Valdez, Ph.D.

After six years of committed service, National Parks Conservation Association President & CEO Theresa Pierno has transitioned off of the Institute’s Board of Directors. Theresa will continue to support Institute staff and programming in an advisory role as well as facilitating future collaborations with NPCA. Her contributions to this organization have been incredible, and we are immensely thankful for her continued guidance and support of the Institute, NPCA, and our National Parks as a whole.

Despite our sadness at Theresa’s Board departure, the Institute’s staff, Directors, and Advisors are very excited that Dr. Ryan Valdez has been elected to fill the vacancy. Ryan serves as NPCA’s Director of Conservation Science and teaches Conservation Biology at George Mason University. His experiences in the Student Conservation Association and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute helped develop Ryan’s mentorship approach to conservation research and career pathway development.

No stranger to the Institute’s Board, Ryan has been a proxy member since 2021 and began making impactful contributions from the start; just last month coordinating a co-sponsored Institute/NPCA professional development luncheon for the Duke Conservation Society during their annual DC Career Trek.

Read more about Ryan and our entire leadership team here.

Congratulations, Ryan!