Loving Our Parks to Death: The Real Conversation About Carrying Capacity
How many visitors are too many? It is one of the most important and most misunderstood questions in parks and public lands today. In this episode of Tailgate Talks, Donald sits down with Jonathan Brun...
24 Feb 36min
Heal the Hustle: How High Performers Reclaim Health, Purpose, and Joy
In this episode of Tailgate Talks, I sit down with M.J. James, author of Heal the Hustle, for an honest and timely conversation about burnout, productivity culture, and what it really means to live—an...
3 Feb 37min
Protecting Stories, Not Just Places: Cultural Resources and Why They Matter
📝 Episode Show Notes Guest: Lauren McMillan, PhD, RPA – Cultural Resource Manager, Virginia State Parks Lauren.McMillan@dcr.virginia.gov Host: Donald Forgione donald.forgione@gmail.com Episode Overv...
20 Jan 35min
Director to Director: Ethics for Park Leaders
Ethics for State Park Leaders Guest: Brent Leisure, Director of Texas State Parks (ret) Ethics in state parks is rarely about clear-cut right and wrong. More often, leaders find themselves navigating...
2 Jan 40min
Parks, People, & Philanthropy: What Every Park Leader Should Know
In today's episode, Donald sits on the tailgate with Kevin Korenthal, Executive Director of the National Association of Park Foundations, to explore how park professionals and their supporting foundat...
10 Dec 202532min
Raising a Ranger at Heart: One Mother's Story and What Parks Can Learn
In this heartfelt and eye-opening episode, Donald sits down with Veronica Greear, Area 6 Manager for Tennessee State Parks, to talk about something every park professional needs to understand — creati...
25 Nov 202539min
Music In The Parks
Episode summary Donald sits down with longtime friend and retired District Manager Warren Poplin to unpack how to plan successful "music in the park" events—from picking the right artist for the vibe,...
23 Sep 202527min
Legacy in Motion: Learning, Adapting, and Growing with Phil Gaines
In this thought-provoking episode, Donald welcomes back his good friend and frequent guest, Phil Gaines, former Director of South Carolina State Parks and a trusted voice in the world of leadership an...
9 Sep 202532min
