Speaker Bios

Andy Anderson – Executive Board Member of Friends of the Centennial Trail since 2022, helping guide stewardship and programming along the trail he’ll be walking with conference attendees. In his day job, he’s a Program Manager at Itron, Inc., and he previously served as President of the Board for the Spokane Nordic Ski Association. Andy holds an MBA from Gonzaga University and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wyoming.

Lisa Bellefond - Director of Development and Programs of the Washington State Parks Foundation, where she leads fundraising and advocates for the state parks system's operating and capital budgets. She brings more than 25 years of experience and success in philanthropy, partnerships and public policy, working at both the federal and state levels, to increase appropriations and pass legislation to protect and steward public lands and watersheds.

Nathan Chappell - Chief AI Officer at Virtuous and a globally recognized expert on the intersection of AI and generosity. In 2018 he founded Fundraising.AI, the world's largest advocacy organization for responsible AI in the nonprofit sector, where he continues to help shape ethical standards for AI-powered fundraising. He is also the author of The Generosity Crisis. With over 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, he's a sought-after keynote speaker whose work has been featured in NPR, Forbes, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy

John Floberg - Executive Director of the Washington State Parks Foundation, a role he has held for 15 years, and currently serves as President of the National Association of State Park Foundations (NASPF). Under his leadership, WSPF has grown to support programs across Washington's state parks system, including Discover Pass access for underserved communities, historic preservation, park improvement grants, and workforce development for future park leaders.

Kara Frashefski – Lead Interpretive Ranger, Inland Northwest Region, at Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. She holds a B.A. in History from Washington State University and an M.S. in Natural & Cultural Resource Management from Central Washington University, and began her career with the City of Seattle's Historic Preservation Program before several years with Spokane County and the City of Spokane. She leads the interpretive team and programming at Spokane House Interpretive Center and Gardner Cave tours at Crawford State Park, along with regional special program planning, event facilitation, and development of interpretive displays.

Lara Gricar – Region Manager, Inland Northwest, at Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. She brings 20 years of experience administering programs, strategic communications, and community engagement in natural resource management and transportation, including managing stakeholder relations and community outreach on the $3 billion Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program along Seattle's waterfront. She now leads operations, programs, and partner relationships for State Parks in the Inland Northwest, with a focus on giving communities a voice in shaping the parks they love.

Chuck Hecker - President of the Friends of Maryland State Parks (FOMSP) and an active NASPF board member. He has spent his life in service to public lands, with over 40 years in wildland firefighting and a long career as a park ranger for local and state parks in Maryland. Now retired, he's dedicated to creating a constituency who believes in the advocacy and support of Maryland State Parks.

Jamie Kelley - Chief Philanthropy Officer at the National Parks Foundation, where he oversees all fundraising activities that connect the priorities and needs of the National Park System and individual park units to the charitable intentions of the Foundation’s philanthropic partners. With over 20 years of experience in fundraising, he brings an in-depth background in planning, implementing, and successfully completing capital campaigns, focusing on team growth and capacity building, and working with donors on all aspects of their philanthropic intentions.

Paul Knowles – Trails Program Manager at Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. He brings 18 years of experience in park and trail planning, real estate, capital project management, and partnership development with nonprofit and public partners. Before joining State Parks in 2023, he served as Planning, Development, and Real Estate Manager for Spokane County Parks, Recreation & Golf, helping position the county for the largest infusion of park funding in its history. He now oversees a range of trail initiatives across multiple programs and divisions, including the Scenic Bikeways Program.

Joan Kowalski – President of Bob Ross Inc. Beginning her career of passion in 1988, Joan spent the next 7 years soaking up everything Bob Ross dreamed of before his death in 1995. She now considers the Bob Ross Happy Little 5K® one of the company's greatest collaborations, now adding more cool features for 2027.

Justin Krogstad – Area Manager/Park Ranger, Inland Northwest, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. An Army veteran who brings over 20 years in law enforcement and 7 years in park operations management, from the remote San Juan Islands to the urban park systems surrounding Spokane. Currently serving as the Area Manager for the Inland Northwest Area, he manages Washington's two largest State Parks (Riverside and Mt. Spokane), along with the Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail, all hosting millions of annual visitors. He enjoys current collaboration with several formalized park-specific friends/foundation groups, each with their own interests and focus toward the overall betterment of our State Park system.

Jennie McCaffrey – Vice President, Strategic Engagement in Nature, Health & Learning at BC Parks Foundation, where she's spent the past several years building the organization's most far- reaching programs connecting people to nature. She helped launch PaRx, the world's largest nature prescription program, and oversees Discover Parks, which has logged over a million visitor interactions with interpreters across 24 parks in British Columbia. Jennie has spent her career building partnerships across government, schools, and industry to grow a healthy-by- nature movement across Canada.

Seth Miller – Executive Director of Oregon Parks Forever for the past 10 years, leading a statewide nonprofit that supports parks across Oregon. Under his leadership, OPF has built a lean, fractional-staffing model - two full-time staff, five fractional specialists, a pro bono ad agency, and three key partner organizations - to maximize impact without the overhead of a large full-time team.

Rose Noble, CDME – President & CEO of Visit Spokane, the official destination marketing organization for the city and county, where she leads strategy for marketing, sales, public relations, and community engagement. She previously spent six years as CEO of Galena Country Tourism in Illinois and holds the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) credential. Rose serves on the boards of State of Washington Tourism, Washington State DMOs, and the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, among others.

Rachel Norton – Executive Director of the California State Parks Foundation, where she has helped drive adoption of the state's free park access programs - the CA Adventure Pass, State Library Parks Pass, and Golden Bear Pass - alongside new funding partnerships to support park operations and climate resilience. She brings a strategic, access-focused approach to the foundation-agency partnership.

Ronald A. Olson – Former Chief of the Michigan Parks and Recreation Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, from 2005 to 2025, where he directed and oversaw a state park system of 104 parks and recreation areas, 140 state forest campgrounds, and over 300,000 acres of land, hosting nearly 35 million visitations annually, including 5 million at Belle Isle Park. Ron has also served as a parks and recreation director in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and in Maryland, Indiana, and Minnesota.

Steven Screen – Co-Founder of The Better Fundraising Company and lead author of its blog. With over 30 years’ fundraising experience, he gets energized by helping organizations understand how they can raise more money. He’s a second-generation fundraiser, a past winner of the Direct Mail Package of the Year, and data-driven.

Julie Shaddox - joined the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation team in 2014 and served as TPWF’s first and only grant writer throughout the course of a $100 million fundraising campaign, writing grants for everything from land acquisitions to capital construction, equipment purchases, restoration projects, and wildlife and fisheries conservation programs. Today, Julie serves as TPWF’s Director of Development and Conservation Programs, leading a team of two grant writers and overseeing several of TPWF’s priority conservation initiatives.

Mary Snyder – Speaker & Podcast Host, Impact with Story. A storyteller, speaker, and fundraising strategist who helps nonprofits tell the right story to the right people at the right time. After three decades raising millions for nonprofits, she’s convinced facts inform, but stories move people to act. Her workshops are practical, interactive, full of real-world examples that uncover the extraordinary stories hiding in plain sight.

Jen Westra – Executive Director of Friends of the Centennial Trail, stepped into the role in 2026 to lead the nonprofit’s advocacy, stewardship, and fundraising efforts for the 40-mile trail connecting the Idaho border through Spokane to Long Lake. A 20-plus year Spokane resident, she’s focused on strengthening the partnerships among State Parks, Spokane County, and the trail’s local cities that keep it safe and accessible, and on growing the member and Adopt-a-Mile support behind projects like the Kardong Bridge renovation.

Julia Gill Woodward - a ninth-generation Floridian with deep roots in the state's award-winning park system. As Chief Executive Officer of the Florida State Parks Foundation, she led the reconstruction of historic Fort Mose - home to the first legally sanctioned free African community in the United States. Before joining the Foundation, Julia spent more than a decade in electoral campaigns and on Capitol Hill, including as Chief of Staff to Rep. Gwen Graham.