The National Park Foundation Names John J. Reynolds Executive Vice President, Park Grants & Strategic Alliances.

WASHINGTON -- Vin Cipolla, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation (NPF), today named John J. Reynolds Executive Vice President, Park Grants & Strategic Alliances.

In his new position with NPF, Reynolds will direct all grants and program activities, manage park funds and develop new alliances. Reynolds will be responsible to grow and guide NPF's philanthropy initiatives with the goal of furthering the foundation's work as the National charitable organization of American Parks.

Reynolds is a nationally recognized, award-winning leader, earned through a distinguished career with the National Park Service (NPS) that spans 40 years. In his most recent position with the NPS, Reynolds was the Director of the Pacific West Region and was responsible for overseeing an area extending 106 degrees around the globe--from Nevada to Hawaii and the outer Pacific--encompassing National Parks such as Yosemite (CA), Olympic (WA) and Death Valley (CA), some of the most visited sites in the National Park System, with nearly 15 million visits annually.

"John's extraordinary leadership with the National Park Service over four decades, combined with his commitment to private park philanthropy, will help the foundation achieve its vision of generating more support for our National Parks," said NPF President Vin Cipolla.

From the time Reynolds joined NPS in 1962, he has worked in a number of positions ranging from landscape architect and park planner to park manager and program director. Among his many leadership roles, Reynolds served as Deputy Director, National Park Service from 1993 to 1996, and was responsible for managing day-to-day operations nationwide. In the U.S., Reynolds worked in areas ranging from Alaska to the Mojave Desert, and supervised regions from the Pacific West to the Mid-Atlantic. He managed assignments in over ten countries, and served five years on the United States delegation to the World Heritage Committee, three years as the Head of the Delegation.

Reynolds is the recipient of several awards for his innovative leadership with the NPS, including the Department of Interior's Distinguished Service Award, the highest Departmental honor granted to a career employee. In addition to being honored for his leadership abilities, Reynolds received the 2002 American Society of Landscape Architects LaGasse Medal among other design awards. Along with his many accomplishments, Reynolds is recognized as a pioneer in environmental leadership practices that were implemented throughout the Park system.

Retiring from NPS in 2002, Reynolds joined the NPF as a Senior Fellow where he has participated in program planning and served as liaison to the NPS for land acquisition, fundraising, and grant-making efforts.

"My passion throughout my career has been the National Parks. It is an exciting privilege and honor to continue to serve that passion with the National Park Foundation," said Reynolds.

Reynolds continues a long history of serving on boards and committees for a variety of non-profit organizations. He currently chairs the Flight 93 National Memorial Advisory Commission. In addition, Reynolds is a member of the Advisory Council, Yosemite Fund and a member of the Board of Directors, Yosemite National Institutes. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Student Conservation Association, a Board Member for the George Wright Society, a conservation organization, and a current fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Reynolds holds a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University and a Master's in Landscape Architecture from the State University College of Forestry at Syracuse University.

About the National Park Foundation

The National Park Foundation (www.nationalparks.org), chartered by Congress in 1967, is the official non-profit partner of America's national parks. The National Park Foundation strengthens the enduring connection between the American people and their national parks by raising private funds, making strategic grants, creating innovative partnerships and increasing public awareness. Over the past seven years alone, the Foundation has contributed more than $135 million in total grants and program support to national parks across the country.