Caren Glotfelty PA conservation figure

Caren Glotfelty

After earning a Masters Degree in Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, Glotfelty spent much of her early career working in Pennsylvania and Maryland state government on land use, water quality policy and planning issues. She became the first Deputy Secretary for Water Management in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources.

Later she held the Maurice K. Goddard Chair in Forestry and Environmental Resources at The Pennsylvania State University. Glotfelty served as Program Director for the Environment Program at The Heinz Endowments. During her work there, she promoted smart growth, green building, civic design, and sustainable development in southwestern Pennsylvania. She recognized that good development is an essential component of economic prosperity as well as environmental protection.

She was a major strategist in the production of the Brookings Institution study, Back to Prosperity.

Glotfelty has been honored many times for her career accomplishments. The PA Parks and Forests Foundation recognized Glotfelty for her work to preserve Pennsylvania’s natural resources, promote outdoor recreation, and engage citizens on environmental issues and solutions, awarding her their 2014 Cliff Jones Keystone Legacy Award.

Glotfelty currently serves as executive director of the Allegheny County Parks Foundation continuing her lifelong commitment to protecting the natural environment. A role model and guide, her collaborative approach to problem solving, as well as her experience and training in land and water resource management, has served Pennsylvania well.