Highly regarded as a nonprofit executive since 1985, Curt Buchholtz has directed three nonprofit organizations, administered a national park seminar program, and initiated forty-nine special fund raising projects. As Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Nature Association he helped create three visitor centers, five accessible and four backcountry trails, a museum renovation, the preservation of eighteen historical buildings, eleven land purchases, a greenhouse, a conservation corps, and several endowments, including an endowed fellowship program — the first ever created for a national park.
Mr. Buchholtz has a variety of experience in nonprofit administration. He helped establish and later merge two nonprofit organizations, specifically the Rocky Mountain National Park Associates and the Rocky Mountain Heritage Society, he serves as a co-trustee of a nonprofit trust, and has acted as an advisor for more than two dozen friends groups — assisting parks, wildlife refuges and monuments. His skills include fund raising, long-range planning, developing cooperative relationships with federal agencies, project management, and problem solving.
Previously he worked for the National Park Service as a seasonal ranger in Glacier National Park from 1963 until 1985 and he was a college history teacher for fifteen years. As a freelance writer he has authored two books: Man in Glacier (1976); Rocky Mountain National Park: A History (1983) and co-authored four others: Yosemite National Park, a Photographic and Comprehensive Guide (1989); Mesa Verde, Canyon de Chelly & Hovenweep (1987), Rocky Mountain National Park (1986) for National Parkways; and Littleton, Colorado: Settlement to Centennial (1990). In 1994, he provided the Introduction for Colorado On My Mind. In addition, he has published several dozen articles, chapters, and academic reviews. For nearly two decades he was a regular book reviewer for Denver’s Rocky Mountain News, having over five hundred published reviews. He served for eight years on the Board of Directors of the Association of Partners for Public Lands. He currently serves as president of the National Park Friends Alliance.
Overview
Nonprofit Organizational Management & Consulting
- Executive director of three nonprofit organizations over 26 years
- Specialist in fundraising, including mid-sized capital campaigns
- Conservation and public land partnerships
- Strategic planning and program development
- Training and mentoring
- Advocacy, including Congressional testimonies
Conservation, Preservation & Philanthropy
- National Parks (specifically, Glacier National Park and Rocky Mountain National Park)
- National Forests (throughout Colorado and Wyoming)
- State Parks (within Colorado)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuges (nationwide)
- Bureau of Land Management (nationwide)
Foreign Conservation Partnership Consultations
- Parks Canada
- Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria
- National Parks of Panama
Writing, Publishing, Public Speaking
- Essayist
- Historian
- Numerous published essays, articles, books
- Subjects include conservation, national parks, history
- Public speeches range from local to national audiences, including TV appearances
Specialties
- Establishing public/private partnerships for conservation purposes
- Partnership methodologies
- Project development and management
- Strategic planning
- Donor development
- Communication strategy
- Endowment development
- Partnership ethics and best practices
- Problem solving
- Productivity and accountability
- Financial sustainability for nonprofit organizations
- Organizational leadership
- Visioning
Educator
- College History Teacher, 15 years
- Instructor, National Conservation Training Center
- Training Corps Instructor, Association of Partners for Public Lands
- National Mentoring Team, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Major Accomplishments
- Increased Rocky Mountain Nature Association gross revenue from $350,000 to $3.5 million annually, between 1985 and 2011
- Completed 49 special fundraising projects for Rocky Mountain National Park, including three endowments, totaling some $25 million
- Created a planning giving program for the Rocky Mountain Nature Association, with an estimated future potential exceeding $10 million
Contact
970-231-5353 (c) | Curt.Buchholtz@yahoo.com | P.O. Box 3404 Estes Park, CO 80517