About the Program:
On December 27, 1974, President Gerald Ford signed legislation to create the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service, between the cities of Akron and Cleveland, Ohio. So began a journey that was often challenging and painful but also inspirational and noble as a demonstration of the power of community and public support for protection of land, history, and the environment. This was a “different” kind of national park, in a non-traditional location--misunderstood, dismissed, and outright disliked by many community members and the National Park Service, itself. Over the course of the past 50 years, however, park stewards have worked tirelessly with our community partners to protect and restore natural and historic landscapes and improve visitor recreational experiences. Renamed in 2000, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is now one of the most visited national parks in the country and is attracting a higher proportion of out-of-state visitors than ever before. As we look to the next 50 years, we hope to bring the values of Ohio’s only National Park to all of our northeast Ohio citizens, increasing access for those without cars, improving the environment, and contributing to the health, wellness and quality of life in northeast Ohio.
About our Speaker:
Dr. Lisa Petit is the Superintendent of Cuyahoga Valley National Park, James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor and First Ladies National Historic Site in Canton. She has been at Cuyahoga Valley for 25 years and has been superintendent since 2021. She joined the National Park Service here as a Wildlife Biologist, later serving as Chief of Resource Management and Deputy Superintendent. Prior to her NPS career, Lisa was a Research Biologist for eight years with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Her research focused on understanding the role of parks and protected areas in resource conservation.
As Superintendent, Lisa’s top priorities are to build strong, interdependent relationships between the park and the surrounding communities, protect and restore the natural and cultural heritage of the Cuyahoga Valley, and fulfill the purpose of CVNP as a “National Park to the People” by making CVNP more accessible and relevant to the full diversity of residents in northeast Ohio and the American public.