John Norbeck was announced as PennFuture’s new vice president and chief operating officer on January 6. Norbeck served as Pennsylvania state parks director from 2006 to 2012, and before that served for 29 years in the Maryland state park system. Under Norbeck’s tenure at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the Pennsylvania state park system received a national gold medal as the best-managed park system in the United States.
PennFuture policy director Steve Stroman recently sat down with John for an interview, which we are delighted to share with you today.
Q: John—It has been great having you on board at PennFuture! What are your impressions so far of the organization?
A: The staff at PennFuture are some of the brightest, most dedicated people I have had the pleasure of working with. Contrary to what some may think, there are no ‘pat’ answers. We strongly deliberate each issue to ensure we are doing what is right for the environment, community and economy. It simply works.
Q: Most of your career has been spent in state government, managing state parks in Pennsylvania and Maryland. How are you enjoying working in the advocacy world for a non-profit?
A: It is challenging and liberating at the same time. PennFuture is on the cutting edge of issues, so the path is not as clear is it might be in other sectors of work. I enjoy the opportunity to develop new ideas and approaches that make a difference. The liberating part is that as part of the team, we formulate positions, messages and policies and carry them out swiftly. To remain relevant, your work needs to be fast paced and on target. That is PennFuture.
Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? What were some of the formative experiences of your younger days, especially pertaining to the environment and the outdoors?
A: I grew up in a rural/agricultural section of Maryland. As kids, my brothers, cousins, friends and I spent a vast majority of our time out in the woods and fields doing what kids do, and that is where I started to develop a love for the natural world that I carry today. I went to school at Roanoke College in Virginia. There, I studied biology and continued my interests in outdoor, nature-based recreation. I spent most of my free time hiking, camping, spelunking and paddling.
During my trips home from college, I noticed that the place I had once called home was being swallowed by sprawl. That experience helped me develop a better understanding of what is really important in the world we live in. We can’t stagnate but, at the same, time our development should not forever change the sense of place.
Q: For six years, you managed Pennsylvania’s state park system that includes 120 state parks, environmental education centers, and conservation areas. What were some of the most rewarding aspects of that job?
A: First and foremost, working with the men and women in the Bureau of State Parks and DCNR was really rewarding. The professional staff there is absolutely awesome. I also enjoyed the fact that we provided top-notch public service to the citizens and visitors to Pennsylvania. Even with declining budgets, we were able to focus our work on what was important. We were honored for that work, and received the national Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Management.
There were a number of programs we developed that I am proud of but two stand out. We were able to advance an already good environmental education program to a level of excellence. Last, but certainly not least, we started a Green Parks program that was well on its way to reducing our carbon footprint by 20 percent over five years.
Q: You mentioned that under your leadership, the Bureau of State Parks unveiled a Green Parks program to measure and reduce each park’s carbon footprint, conserve water, reduce pollution, use green energy and green buildings, etc. Can you tell us more about that initiative?
A.: State Parks are like small cities in many ways. We gave a number of educational programs talking about reducing the carbon footprint and being efficient, but we were not really walking the walk. So, we set the goal as noted before, to reduce our carbon footprint by 20 percent in five years, and to conserve our natural resources where we could.
We looked at every aspect of our work, from park design to the way we (and visitors) used the parks, to how we heated and cooled buildings. The main goal was to conserve natural resources and reduce our footprint, but we also wanted to show you could do it and save money at the same time. We performed energy audits to point us in the right direction. We reduced our energy use through the use of alternative energy including geothermal, solar, and wind. By taking a critical look at our maintenance program, we reduced how much area we mowed, switched to using propane mowers instead of gas or diesel, installed soft start motors in the sewage treatment plants. The list goes on. The first park enrolled in the program was Yellow Creek; they exceeded the 20 percent goal in a short three years. You can be green, clean and efficient -- you just need to want to do it.
A: It is an award that is given out every two years at most, to a state park system that demonstrates excellence in park management. It is a peer group that judges the applicants. I believe what made Pennsylvania stand out in the program is that we were being progressive in our approach to managing parks while paying homage to our core state park values. Our approach was to look at the parks as being a part of the local community and developing ties that both advanced our mission and that of the communities. The Green Parks program was certainly a program that was well received and, in part, emulated by a number of our park systems. Our approach to strongly supporting environmental education even during declining budgets was seen as forward thinking and acting. We were preparing for the future. Another large factor was our collaborative work with other government and non-governmental organizations. A simple proposition that is rarely acted upon. DCNR, Bureau of State Parks did. We worked to leverage each other’s resources to the collective benefit of the region.
Q: What are some of your favorite state parks in Pennsylvania? What are some of the hidden gems of the park system that may be unfamiliar to some of our readers, but definitely worth a visit?
A: Cook Forest State Park and the Cathedral Forest is probably my most favorite place. Not a hidden gem, but one that needs to be conserved and preserved at all cost. World’s End State Park is another favorite place. Nestled in the Loyalsock State Forest, it is a great place to hike. Ohiopyle for its over the top, nature-based recreation. Gifford Pinchot because it is MY local park. Pine Grove Forest, my other local park. Now that I think about the question more, they are all my favorite parks and all have hidden gems. I have visited every Pennsylvania state park and they all have great value worth experiencing.
Q: What do you see as some of the top environmental and conservation challenges now facing Pennsylvania?
A: Without a doubt, the natural gas boom in Pennsylvania is the top environmental and conservation challenge, and opportunity, of the century. We have a chance to manage this resource boom differently, and more effectively, than we did for the timber and coal boom. There is a gold rush mentality surrounding the issue that is pitting economy against environment, brother against brother. The rush to get every last molecule of gas out of the ground as quickly as possible is leading to environmental degradation that may be far worse than what we experienced in the previous booms. In addition, water, our most precious resource, is being compromised at a level that is hard to fathom. There is a better way.
Q: What are some of your goals and priorities in your new position at PennFuture?
A: As chief operating officer, I have several major objectives. As a quick highlight, I will be co-leading a strategic planning process for the organization with our President/CEO Cindy Dunn, which will bring a stronger focus to our work and set the stage for us in the coming years. The work at PennFuture is detailed and fast moving; to meet that head-on, we will be updating our internal and external technology functions. In addition, we will be launching a new public lands campaign designed to enhance the protection and conservation of public lands in the Commonwealth.
Q: What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of work?
A: I enjoy outdoor, nature-based recreation such as hiking and paddling. Recently, I have combined my long-term love of woodworking and paddling into a new hobby for me, wooden canoe restoration. For years, I have dabbled in antique vehicle restoration (Willys and Jeeps), and have also gotten into rock crawling using one of my builds. Lastly, I am starting to build my own electric vehicle. Again, I will combine two interests, Jeeps and conservation into one hobby, building an electric Jeep.
