Olivia joined the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in May 2023. As the Southern Appalachian Landscape Project Director, Olivia is working to build a broad coalition focused on protecting and uplifting the unparalleled biodiversity and unique stories of the Southern Appalachian region. Her work is focused on conserving the landscape anchored by Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Olivia served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, working in community health advocacy on the Ugandan border with Kenya. This experience developed a true love for working in community, leading Olivia to pursue a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning (with a focus on environmental planning) at the University of New Orleans. Her work with communities facing rapid land loss due to rising sea levels through the UNO Center for Hazards Assessment and Response Technology (UNO-CHART) in graduate school inspired Olivia to pursue a Juris Doctorate to better understand the legal framework under which decisions are made that affect people living with the effects of climate change. While attending Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, Olivia proudly interned with the Solicitor’s Office of the Division of Indian Affairs within the U.S. Department of the Interior under Secretary Sally Jewell.

Her extensive work building coalition and working at the community level informs her work in Southern Appalachia. With a family history strongly rooted in western North Carolina, working to protect the parks, forests, and waters she spent her childhood adventuring in is an honor and joy for Olivia. She and her family live in Candler, NC and spend their free time camping, hiking, tending an ever expanding garden of native plants, and raising a modest flock of chickens under the shadow of Mt. Pisgah.

My Favorite Parks