April 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 18

OPERATIONS
PEOPLE
FOR PARKS
NRPA Selects New President and CEO
By Heather R. Williams, MPS

RPA is proud to announce the selection of Kristine Stratton
as the next president and CEO of the organization. Stratton,
who currently serves as senior vice president of operations at
Earthjustice, the nation's largest nonprofit environmental law
organization, will begin her new role as NRPA president and CEO, June 5,
overseeing the day-to-day operations of NRPA, including the NRPA Board
of Directors and staff, headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia.
" I am truly honored and excited
to join NRPA, " says Kristine Stratton. " Parks and recreation centers
are the lifeblood of communities
across the country. Advocating
alongside the thousands of professionals who make these critical places stronger every day is a
dream come true. "

Kristine Stratton

Parks & Recreation

A staunch advocate for environmental conservation and equity
issues, Stratton believes strongly in
NRPA's mission. Her belief that everyone has the right to clean water
and a healthy environment aligns
well with NRPA's vision that everyone deserves a great park. Looking
ahead, Stratton will draw on her rural Maine roots and years of work
in the environmental movement in
cities across the country to advance
NRPA's mission.
" On behalf of the entire NRPA
board and staff, I want to congratulate Kristine and welcome her as
the next president and CEO of
NRPA, " says Jack Kardys, chair
of the NRPA Board of Directors.
" Her wealth of experience in
nonprofit management, coupled
with her passion for environmental justice issues and strategic
planning, makes her the perfect
candidate for this position. We
look forward to working with her
to further advance our organizational goals and mission. "
Prior to her role as senior vice
president of operations at Earthjustice, located in San Francisco,
California, Stratton served as the
executive director of Waterkeeper Alliance in New York, New
York, and before that she was
vice president of operations at the

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Conservation Law Foundation in
Boston, Massachusetts. She also
served in several administrative
and senior management roles at
WGBH Educational Foundation,
a public broadcasting station in
Boston, Massachusetts. Stratton
holds a Master of Arts degree in
environmental policy and planning from Tufts University and
a Bachelor of Science degree in
business administration from
Boston University.
Stratton will replace NRPA's current president and CEO, Barbara
Tulipane, CAE, who announced
her retirement in June 2018. Tulipane, a lifelong champion of parks
and recreation, experienced great
success during her 10-year tenure.
Under her leadership, NRPA's
revenue doubled, membership increased from 17,000 to 60,000, and
NRPA adopted the three strategic
pillars of Conservation, Health
and Wellness, and Social Equity.
" The future for NRPA looks
bright, " says Tulipane. " Our
members have much to look forward to under Kristine's leadership. "
Tulipane will remain in her current position until Stratton is onboard June 5.
NRPA members will have the
opportunity to meet Stratton
in-person at the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Baltimore,
Maryland, where she will address
attendees during the event's opening general session.
Heather R. Williams, MPS, is NRPA's
Senior Manager of Public Relations
(hwilliams@nrpa.org).

April 2019 - Parks & Recreation

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