Pictured, l-r: Charles Thomas, OBA Youth Advisory Council (YAC) member Sam Hutchins, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and YAC member Tori Williams meet during a conference for the President’s initiative on “21st Century Strategy for America’s Great Outdoors."
Altadena resident Charles Thomas has been chosen by the National Parks Service to be the Pacific West Regional (PWR) Ranger of Youth and Volunteer programs.
Thomas, the former executive director of Outward Bound Adventures, will administer six states and two U.S. territories: American Samoa, California, Guam, Idaho, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. His key responsibilities will include oversight of youth internship and youth volunteer programs conducted by parks, implement a regional strategic plan and framework for youth programs and advise regional and Washington offices on status and needs of youth programs.
Thomas told Altadenablog he was looking forward to the challenge, which means "being able to have a broader impact from a national level in terms of getting underserved communities to get outdoors ... I have a huge area, and I just know there's an inordinate amount of people who don't know about the national parks."
“Charles has a great deal of experience connecting youth to the outdoors,” said Pacific West Regional Chief of Interpretation Sheri Forbes in making the appointment. “He will help Pacific West Region parks and partners be more inclusive as we reach out to young people, creating pathways to employment and providing opportunities for future generations to find relevancy in the national parks."
In April of 2010 Thomas was invited by the White House to witness President Obama's signing of a memorandum, "A 21st Century Strategy for America’s Great Outdoors," directing cabinet level and executive staff to reconnect Americans, especially youth, to the great outdoors.
For the past 15 years as the executive director of Outward Bound Adventures (OBA), Thomas has designed programs to connect underserved communities to nature and challenging environmental learning experiences, As the OBA executive director he created several award-winning programs that enriched the lives of thousands underserved urban populations, especially high-risk youth and their families, by introducing them to the therapeutic value of spending time in wild places and open spaces, including the national parks.
Thomas has a record of promoting diversity and inclusion in the outdoor world. He has developed collaborative partnerships and youth environmental programs for federal, state and local government and non-profits. While serving as an ecologist for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he was honored by the Federal Equal Employment Opportunities Commission for designing a program that introduced urban youth of color to the environmental work of the Corps.
Following his work at the Army Corps, Thomas became the City of Pasadena’s first Environmental Affairs Coordinator, managing the largest environmental restoration project in the history of the city. Thomas holds the distinction of being the principal author of the City of Pasadena’s Environmental Charter, a document that is used today to guide the city’s development and environmental initiatives.
Thomas said, “I agree with documentary film maker Ken Burns that the NPS is one of America’s best ideas - however there is a huge segment of the American population that has never experienced the majesty or received the load- lightening effect of time spent visiting a National Park. The NPS is a public spirited idea that has not been easily accessed by certain segments of the American public. It is my intention to ensure that all Americans have access and opportunities to make the National Park System a part of their family legacy.”
Thomas has an M.A. in Environmental Studies and Geography from California State University at Los Angeles. He also received dual degrees from Southern Oregon University - a B.S. in Physical Geography and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies. Thomas is married with two daughters. He officially begins his assignment January 24, 2011 and will be working from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
"My duty station is going to be in the park headquarters in Thousand Oaks for probably six to eight months, then we're moving a satellite station closer into LA," Thomas said. "I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Altadenan, I'm not leaving this area."
As for his previous position in Outward Bound, "OBA has never been in a better place to expand capacity," Thomas said. "Funding-wise, we are struggling like most nonprofits and businesses in this economy, but OBA in my 15 years has never been in a better place to build and serve more kids because of our location and our relationship with the school district. That's what I wanted to do, leave it in a place to build, but make no mistake, it's the best it's ever been."
A reception honoring Thomas for his sixteen years of dedication and commitment to OBA and the community in connecting underserved and urban youth to nature is planned for mid-February at the Western Justice Center in Pasadena.
