Katie Nyberg / National Parks Friends Alliance

The National Park Friends Alliance, a non-profit organization that helps philanthropic groups across the country support national parks, and works with National Park Service staff in professional development, announced this week that they've appointed Katie Nyberg as Executive Director. It's the first time the Friends Alliance has ever had a full-time ED. Nyberg replaces Vicki Mates, who served as a part-time ED for the past two years and who was instrumental in establishing the Friends Alliance as an independent 501(c)(3) organization.

Nyberg is a trail runner, a kayaker, and a cross-country skier in her spare time. Her career thus far has largely been spent protecting the outdoor spaces she cherishes, while also ensuring and improving access to those places. “I think caring for a place is how we express our love for the place — through stewardship,” Nyberg said on the podcast Voices of Upstream, back in 2023.

Nyberg comes with a lifetime of experience working with non-profit park partners. She was a Steering Committee member at the Friends Alliance for over a decade. Nyberg led the Mississippi Park Connection as ED for 17 years, and most recently held the same position at the Great River Passage Conservancy in Minnesota. Nyberg has also consulted for various non-profit programs supporting parks over the years. She's a graduate of the Univeristy of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

Now, she'll lead the organization she's worked closely with since 2012.

“It's been a joy to watch the Friends Alliance launch as an independent nonprofit over the past year," Nyberg said in a release. "I am excited to return to a community that has given me so much.”