Shenandoah National Park Trust

With no formal comms/marketing infrastructure in place, I created the function end-to-end: strategy, website, editorial program, campaigns, and governance.

Screenshot of a website for Shenandoah National Park with a cloudy mountain background, a logo featuring a mountain and road, and text that says "We Are Shenandoah" and information about park support and preservation.
Screenshot of the Shenandoah National Park website homepage showing mountain landscape, park impact initiatives, historical cabin, recent news updates, partners, and mailing list sign-up.

The Challenge

The Shenandoah National Park Trust is the official philanthropic partner of Shenandoah National Park — a 200,000-acre national treasure in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains attracting 1.4 million visitors annually. When I joined in March 2020, the organization was days away from a crisis it didn't see coming. The pandemic shut down in-person visitation, cancelled every planned fundraising event, and threatened the donor relationships that funded conservation, education, and land preservation programs.

At the same time, the Trust needed a clearer, more usable story system: language and proof that staff and board members could steward consistently — even under pressure and without in-person events.

A folded brochure or magazine spread featuring information about Shenandoah National Park, with images of wildlife, scenic views, and text detailing sponsorship, partnership, and financial data.

What I Did

I built a comprehensive Strategic Communications and Marketing Plan aligned with the Executive Director and Board — a practical roadmap that clarified audiences, priorities, message pillars, and the operational cadence to keep communications steady through disruption.

I led a complete rewrite of the Trust's website content at snptrust.org — web copy, landing pages, donation pages, program descriptions, and storytelling content — using clear, donor-centered language and consistent proof so the story could hold across channels. I managed Google Ads and SEO to support acquisition.

I built and executed an editorial system: monthly calendar, blog posts, email newsletters with A/B testing, social strategy across platforms, and fundraising collateral (digital and print) including the Annual Report and quarterly newsletter. I also placed stories in outdoor and conservation publications.

With in-person events cancelled, I created virtual programming — live events on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook Live including a virtual BANFF Mountain Film Festival fundraiser and National Park Week programming — extending reach and giving supporters new ways to participate.

I secured a National Park Foundation grant for diversity initiatives and environmental education programs, built a Board-level Marketing & Communications Committee, and managed volunteer and paid creative partners (photographers, writers, social media ambassadors, and program leads).

A brochure or report on a light gray surface, featuring text and statistics about economic impact and park visitation, with a scenic mountain landscape image on the right side.

The results

  • 45% increase in online donor engagement during the pandemic

  • Successfully secured National Park Foundation grant funding for diversity and education programs

  • Built a reusable digital engagement framework that outlasted my tenure

  • Developed strategic partnerships with corporate and nonprofit organizations to meet development goals

  • Created the communications infrastructure for a small nonprofit to operate like a much larger organization

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