Ron Tipton

Ron Tipton is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and former Senior Vice President for Policy at the National Parks Conservation Association. Throughout his distinguished career, Ron has held senior leadership positions with The Wilderness Society, National Audubon Society, and World Wildlife Fund, providing decades of expertise in public lands policy, conservation advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and organizational strategy. He also worked as staff for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

Peter Drekmeier

Peter Drekmeier is the Policy Director of the Yosemite Rivers Alliance and the former Mayor of Palo Alto. He has devoted more than three decades to environmental conservation, public policy, and river protection. He co-founded Bay Area Action in 1990, helped lead international Earth Day campaigns, and has extensive experience in land-use and water policy, watershed protection, and grassroots environmental advocacy. A longtime advocate for the Tuolumne River and Yosemite, he has deep knowledge of California’s conservation policy.​

Audrey Peterman

Audrey Peterman is an acclaimed environmental diversity pioneer, conservation advocate, and author dedicated to connecting people of color with America’s public lands. She spent 15 years on the Board of Trustees for the National Parks Conservation Association. She has also served with the Next100 Coalition, the Association of Partners for Public Lands, and the National Parks Promotion Council. In 2014, she co-founded the Diverse Environmental Leaders Speakers Bureau to elevate the voices of diverse environmental professionals. Her mission is to show the commonality that all Americans have in our National Parks and Public Lands System. Her expert testimony has informed congressional committees on vital ecological efforts.

Randy Hayes

Randy Hayes is executive director at Foundation Earth, working to end threats the biosphere’s life support systems via a five-point plan for a better world. As a former award-winning filmmaker and Rainforest Action Network founder, he is a veteran of many high-visibility corporate accountability campaigns and has advocated for the rights of indigenous peoples. He served seven years as President of San Francisco’s Commission on the Environment under mayor Gavin Newsom (now governor) and as Director of Sustainability in the office of Oakland’s mayor, Jerry Brown (former governor). Randy has explored the High Sierras, the Canadian Rockies, and the tropical rainforests of the Amazon, Central & South America, Congo, Southeast Asia, Borneo, and Australia.

Destry Jarvis

Destry Jarvis is a Former Associate Director of the National Park Service from 1993 to 1996 and former Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. He later served as Executive Director of the National Parks Conservation Association, bringing decades of leadership in national parks policy, public lands conservation, wildlife protection, and conservation advocacy. He is currently the President of Outdoor Recreation and Park Services. He is an expert in National Parks policy

James Woolsey

James Woolsey is a former National Park Service superintendent and deputy superintendent with more than 30 years of federal service, including superintendent and leadership positions at Great Basin, Death Valley, Acadia, Springfield Armory, and Coltsville. He also served as Director of Visitor Services for the American Battle Monuments Commission, overseeing interpretation  for U.S. military cemeteries overseas. He currently serves as Board President of the Great Basin Water Network.

Brock Evans

Brock Evans is a legendary American environmental lawyer, lobbyist, and historic eco-warrior whose career spans over 50 years. Renowned for his tactical motto, "Endless pressure, endlessly applied," Evans earning designations from Fortune and U.S. News & World Report as a top D.C. lobbyist. Evans has testified before Congressional committees more than 200 times, His relentless advocacy was pivotal in securing national protections for the North Cascades National Park, Hells Canyon, and millions of acres of Western wilderness. 

John J. Donahue

John J. Donahue dedicated 38 years to the National Park Service, including 24 years as a park superintendent overseeing five distinct national park units, with his final 14 federal years supervising the Delaware Water Gap NRA and the Middle Delaware Scenic and Recreational River area.  He was also the Delaware River Watershed Coordinator for the Appalachian Trail from 2018 till 2021. He is  a champion for the designation of the Delaware River National Park & Lenape Preserve.  He is currently President of Three Rivers Environmental Consulting.