New Opportunities Keep This Landscape Architect Engaged and Skilled

Kim and her colleagues take a moment to soak in the significance of standing on the rock where John Muir gave many inspiring talks at King's Canyon National Park.

What is your name and job title? Kim Shafer, Landscape Architect and Project Manager with the Denver Service Center (DSC)-Planning Division.

What experience and education do you have? I started my National Park Service (NPS) career as an intern with the National Council on Preservation Education (NCPE) in the Midwest Regional Office prior to earning my Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture.

After completing my Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA), I returned to Omaha as a federal career intern in the Cultural Landscapes and Historic Structures program. I moved to the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program where I gained permanent status and honed my collaboration skills working on trails, large-landscape conservation, and youth engagement projects with communities throughout Missouri, Arkansas, and Nebraska. During this time, I was proud to work with a diverse group of organizations on advocacy and conceptual design for the development of the Rock Island Trail, a Rail-to-Trail project connecting communities across the state of Missouri from Kansas City to St. Louis. A unique collaboration with a program led to an America’s Best Idea Grant to support a group of high-potential students in an experiential learning project. This long distance bike ride challenge began at New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park in Louisiana and ended in St. Louis, Missouri. I met them at the Gateway Arch and realized they were transformed with a new self-awareness and confidence.

My next leap was to the Denver Service Center in 2015 in order to become a project manager. Over the past four years, I have had the privilege to focus on national and regional accessibility planning efforts. It has been rewarding to play a small part in setting parks up for success to address the needs of all visitors. I have also had the opportunity to work with great teams on diverse projects to address visitor use, site planning and transportation challenges.

What is a typical day like? As a project manager a good portion of my time is focused on managing scopes, schedules and budgets to keep multiple projects moving toward successful completion. While this part of the job brings satisfaction, my greatest joys come from collaborating with interdisciplinary team members to solve complex challenges that parks face. Some days are filled with meetings, some days are focused on coordination and logistics, some days are for troubleshooting, and some of the best days are spent doing field work in the most beautiful places on earth.

What career advice would you give to someone who wants to follow a similar path? Be curious and flexible. You may have a very specific vision for the job that you want, but be open to unexpected possibilities. Every new role is an opportunity to learn and grow. Who knows where it might lead you? Hone your technical and communication skills. Your collective training and life experiences prepare you for the opportunities and challenges that you will encounter with each project. Nurture these and learn to recognize the unique skills and experiences that your colleagues bring to each project.

What is one of the bigger projects you are working on and what about that project might surprise people? I just wrapped up a development concept planning project with Badlands National Park. This was a unique opportunity for the park to take a long-range view into the future of the Cedar Pass Area and reimagine how to meet the evolving needs and expectations of visitors and staff with a mix of preservation and innovation to address resource stewardship, facility asset management, and visitor use management challenges. I look forward to seeing the park implement some exciting facility projects over the coming years.

Anything else you'd like to add? Working at the Denver Service Center has given me the opportunity to:

1. Work with amazing people and high-performing teams across office divisions,
2. Serve regions and parks across the country and
3. Support park staff in bringing the NPS mission to the front lines in protecting natural and cultural resources and cultivating meaningful connections with visitors.