Elizabeth Ulmer

When I was little my family would drive from Houston to Rocky Mountain National Park every summer to enjoy views from Pikes Peak and the hike to Emerald Lake. I was fascinated by the tall trees, rambunctious chipmunks, the brilliant color of the waters, and how my family seemed to be much more fun in beautiful outdoor spaces than inside buildings! I was hooked. Fast forward to a career in environmental litigation and lobbying with Earthjustice (then Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund) centering on work to preserve old-growth forests. Eventually, my drive to support environmental and other non-profits’ important work led me to become a consultant in planned giving, helping people design their charitable legacy.

Along the way, I attended Williams College in the beautiful Berkshire mountains and the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. My husband Jonathan Graham and I raised our children, Miles and Annie, in Washington D.C. then moved to Southern California. I have served on several boards, including the Coral Reef Alliance and various boards involved in education.

I am honored to be on the National Park Trust board because their work so effectively and uniquely spans the arc of instilling a caring relationship between kids, families and parks and preserving the parklands they will grow up to cherish and steward, in turn, for future generations.