Bill Brownell, the longtime chair of the National Park Trust’s Board of Trustees, is stepping down after 16 years. Scott Stone succeeds Brownell.
Brownell, a partner at the law firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth, has guided the Trust’s board since 2006, helping Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit expand its mission from a land trust that acquires the “missing pieces” of the nation’s national parks to include youth programs across the U.S.
“The Park Trust has been so fortunate to have Bill Brownell at the helm of the organization for 16 years,” said Grace Lee, executive director of the National Park Trust. “His innovative and transformational leadership has not only benefited our organization but also numerous national park sites and tens of thousands of under-served students across the country each year.”
Over the last decade, the Park Trust has grown with a long pipeline of land projects and a broad portfolio of youth and family programs supporting.
“During Bill’s tenure, the Park Trust’s annual budget has grown tenfold, reflecting the value of its strategy and programs and the talent and commitment of its diverse board and staff,” Lee said. “Bill has been at the heart of this growth and as we transition to new leadership at the board, we’re excited to continue to grow and support our national park sites and youth from kindergarten to college.”
Stone has served on the Park Trust board since 2017, previously chairing the board’s communications committee and digital education working group while also serving on the board’s awards, development, governance, and executive committees.
“We are excited to welcome Scott Stone as the new board chair,” Lee said. “He has already been a strong asset to the board, and we look forward to working with him as we continue to expand the impact of our mission and programs.”
Early in his career, Stone practiced environmental law with Brownell at Hunton Andrews Kurth before founding Lookfar Conservation, a nonprofit that advises charitable foundations and small, local conservation groups in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Stone also runs Glencoe Strategies LLC, a climate change and conservation policy consulting firm based in the Chicago area.
