WNPA, Public Allies Arizona partner to expand park access and cultivate new leaders
TUCSON — Western National Parks Association (WNPA) and Public Allies Arizona have embraced their recent partnership, which began during the 2024-2025 program year. This collaboration places emerging leaders in meaningful roles within the Oro Valley-based WNPA, aligning with both organizations' missions to empower communities and preserve natural heritage.
Public Allies Arizona, a program of Arizona State University's Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, is dedicated to cultivating emerging leaders through a 10-month AmeriCorps apprenticeship. Brandon Vega, one of the current Allies, has been placed with WNPA in Tucson. His role exemplifies the program's commitment to developing leadership skills through practical application in the nonprofit sector.
Brandon is also the first intern for WNPA, and by utilizing his former experience with the forestry service in California, coupled with his passion for wildlife conservation, he has proved to be a tremendous asset to WNPA and their core initiatives. He is a former Forest Ranger intern who worked extensively in the Sierra National Forest.
“I’ve loved everything about (working with) Public Allies and WNPA so far,” Brandon explained enthusiastically. “This is the first internship I’ve had where there have been zero issues with the program. It’s been a great experience so far.”
Brandon comes from a family of ranchers, and naturally, fishing, camping and hunting have played a significant role in both his personal and professional life. Though his current role with the organization is based out of the Tucson metro, WNPA is a nonprofit education partner of the National Park Service, supporting over 70 national parks across the western United States.
One of the program’s primary initiatives is to connect more community groups with the National Parks and the services they provide. It’s both a passion and a priority for Brandon to bring new people into the conversation.
“One of the things we’ve been looking at is just bringing children and families from different communities into the parks,” Brandon said.
WNPA focuses on enhancing visitor experiences and fostering public appreciation for national parks through educational programs and community partnerships. Brandon’s supervisor and mentor, Bret Muter, who joined the program shortly before Brandon, said that the recent partnership between WNPA and Public Allies Arizona has been a mutually beneficial experience that has helped propel both programs’ initiatives towards further success.
“WNPA’s mission is to make the national park experience better and more accessible to everyone,” Bret said, detailing the successful relationship between the organizations. “With Public Allies and their commitment to social justice, and our mission to increase access to national parks and public lands, they’re right in line with each other.”
One of WNPA’s biggest sources of support comes through the operation of their retail sites within the national parks which they collaborate with. Proceeds from the sales at those retail sites are then funneled back into those parks, such as Saguaro National Park or the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.
Bret said that Brandon’s roles have varied throughout his time with the program, and he’s performed necessary tasks such as conducting surveys directed towards identifying areas of improvement within the programs that WNPA already offers to the communities they serve. Their goal is not only to improve the programs that they offer, but also to increase the types of programs being offered at those sites, drawing in new audiences that have not historically utilized the resources within the national parks.
“Sometimes it’s providing additional support to our national park partners in terms of having enough staff and volunteers in those sites,” Bret said.
According to Bret, Brandon’s experience in conservation and interest in wildfire management have made him an invaluable resource to the program. He’s been responsible for both coordinating and piloting programs at the National Park Store on the topic of wildfire management in the West.
Due to recent cuts to federal funding for organizations across the nonprofit sector, numerous staff positions within the National Parks Service have been eliminated, making Brandon’s impact on the organization all the more timely and essential.
“Our mission has always been to support the National Parks Service,” Brandon said. “So whenever they experience a decrease in resources, WNPA is going to closely follow that and do their best to support them.”
As the partnership between Public Allies Arizona and WNPA continues to grow, it offers a compelling example of how intentional collaboration can bridge generational leadership, cultural connection and environmental stewardship.
Image: Brandon Vega (second from right) and other Allies at the Western National Parks Association
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Public Allies Arizona places these emerging leaders in full-time or part-time service to nonprofits in Phoenix and Tucson communities. These nonprofits, called Partner Organizations, are chosen based on their ability to provide the Ally with significant work experience, as well as their need for an innovative leader who can help them take on a project they otherwise could not afford or infuse energy into an existing project.