Will Shafroth joined the Bren School as a lecturer in 2021 and is an alumnus of UCSB, 1980. Will serves as the president and CEO of the National Park Foundation since 2015.

Lecturer

Bio

Will Shafroth joined the Bren School as a lecturer in 2021 and is an alumnus of UCSB, 1980.

Will serves as the president and CEO of the National Park Foundation since 2015.

In that role, Will leads the organization’s more than 120 employees, works closely with a 30-member board of directors, and coordinates closely with the leadership of the National Park Service and Department of the Interior. With 424 National Park sites in all 50 states, Will spends a lot of his time on the road raising funds, connecting with park superintendents and rangers, and supporting local park partners.

Before joining the National Park Foundation, Will served as Counselor to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, overseeing the National Park Service and leading an administration-wide conservation initiative. He also led two conservation organizations in Colorado, served as Assistant Secretary for Natural Resources for the State of California and chaired the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including the Land Trust Alliance and Resources Legacy Fund.

Will is also lover of the outdoors and spends time every year exploring his favorite parks and public lands – including Point Reyes National Seashore and Voyageurs, Channel Islands and Rocky Mountain National Parks. He’s a 4th generation Coloradan and loves biking, hiking, fishing, canoeing, and many varieties of racquet sports.

Research Areas
President and CEO of the National Park Foundation