Member Biography

Priscilla’s love for nature and parks was inspired by her childhood adventures hiking and camping at state and national parks across the country each summer with her sister and parents. Priscilla joined DCR as the Director of State Parks and Recreation in 2004 and was appointed Deputy Commissioner for Conservation and Resource Stewardship in 2016. Priscilla believes that “everyone has a role to play in preserving and enhancing our public lands” which inspired her to create Park Serve Day, DCR’s largest annual volunteer day to foster shared stewardship of our natural, cultural and historic resources. Priscilla served as President of the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) from 2012-2015 and was an officer and member of the Board of Directors from 2005-2017. During her tenure, she was the catalyst to expand a successful Massachusetts program to all 50 states launching America’s State Parks First Day Hikes on January 1, 2012 and served as the National Coordinator in 2012 and 2013. Priscilla is dedicated to encouraging emerging leaders and serves on the Board of Regents for NASPD’s State Parks Leadership School where she leads classes on resource management, interpretation, park history, park design and leadership. She represented America’s State Parks on the National Park Service’s (NPS) Centennial Advisory Committee and served as Co-Chair for the Children in Nature Partnership with the NPS and the National Recreation and Park Association. In 2015, Clemson University's Institute for Parks honored her with the Fran P. Mainella Award for sustained and innovative achievement by a woman in the management of North America’s natural, historic and cultural resources. In 2016, she received NASPD's Distinguished Service Award. Priscilla is a graduate of Connecticut College and earned a Master in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Center of Government and a law degree from Northeastern University School of Law. Priscilla has proudly served the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since 1992. Prior to her role at DCR, she served as Director of Community Preservation at the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs where she and her team helped communities plan for and fund open space and recreation, historic preservation and affordable housing. She began her public service as Deputy General Counsel for the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Environmental Law Enforcement. [current as of September 2018]