Parks are About Relationships

2025-12-23

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"Parks are about relationships. With your team, your communities, your partners. That's what sustains leadership over time." Notable Moments 00:01:03 – Lisa shares her unconventional path into parks leadership 00:05:38 – Why relationships are the key to long-term success as a director 00:09:03 – The value of national peer networks for park leaders 00:13:18 – How visitor behavior has changed since the pandemic 00:15:12 – Adapting parks without losing th...

"Parks are about relationships. With your team, your communities, your partners. That's what sustains leadership over time."

Notable Moments

00:01:03 – Lisa shares her unconventional path into parks leadership

00:05:38 – Why relationships are the key to long-term success as a director

00:09:03 – The value of national peer networks for park leaders

00:13:18 – How visitor behavior has changed since the pandemic

00:15:12 – Adapting parks without losing their purpose

00:24:02 – Leading through budget shortfalls with transparency

00:29:18 – What Oregon State Parks does better than anyone else

00:30:33 – Advice for emerging park leaders

In this episode, Jody Maberry talks with Lisa Sumption, Director of Oregon State Parks, about long-term leadership, teamwork, and navigating change in modern park systems. Strong park systems aren't built on policies alone. They're built on trust, teamwork, and relationships that last. Leadership rooted in people, not ego, makes all the difference.

Resources

www.parkleaders.com

https://parkleaders.com/about/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theparkleaders/

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