Alumnus Donté Gibbs is vice president of the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the park’s philanthropic partner. | Photo by Kofi Amponsah
Donté Gibbs began working at the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park less than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and his mission—as it has been since childhood—is to build relationships and elevate his community.
As vice president of community partnerships at the conservancy—the park’s philanthropic partner—Gibbs (CWR ’10, SAS ’12) runs many programs to ensure that one of the area’s precious resources is accessible and welcoming to all. The East Cleveland native recently spoke with art/sci about how he’s contributing to the region that raised him.
Many of my peers at Case Western Reserve came from backgrounds with far more resources, at least on paper, but I was rich in relationships. I had a strong familial foundation, and I was able to seek out [campus] mentors quickly—folks I still talk to today.
As a sociology major, I studied urban sprawl and loss of population and explored their impact on physical community spaces. I then took that into my [graduate] studies at [CWRU’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences] and combined it with what I learned about building community beyond bricks and mortar.
Being able to incorporate all of that knowledge with my lived experience gives me an enormous sense of pride.
Cultural relevancy is everything. It’s not just saying a place is welcoming, it’s showing it.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park was established 50 years ago because of environmental protections initiated during the [Richard Nixon presidential] administration to establish ‘parks for the people.’ Today, we’re looking at those words and asking: How do we ensure green spaces remain relevant and accessible to everyone?
When I joined the conservancy in January 2021, people were turning to outdoor spaces for connection, and Cuyahoga Valley had just ranked in the top 10 most-visited national parks. We launched Rhythm on the River that June—a free outdoor concert series.
From the start, we prioritized the visitor experience [with] parking attendants and golf carts, wide-open space for playing flag football and kickball, and local food trucks. We also have a ‘kid zone’ run by two young men I mentored at Cleveland recreation centers when they were teenagers, as well as park rangers who engage with families and introduce kids to careers in the conservancy and national park. And it’s all happening in the midst of a concert.
More than 22,000 people have visited Rhythm on the River since it started. We’re going into our fifth year, and it just keeps getting better. It’s eye-opening and reassuring to see thousands of people enjoy their national park, some for the first time.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is vast—33,000 acres between Cleveland and Akron—and it crosses different communities, each with unique experiences.
We’re in conversation with transportation agencies and local officials about expanding the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad to Tower City [in downtown Cleveland]. Maybe you hop on [the public transit system] with a special pass that takes you to the railroad, and you can visit the park for the day. That’s just one of many things we’re working on.
It’s exciting to explore all of this potential looking to the next 50 years. It allows me to wake up, go to work and not feel like it’s work—it’s purpose.
Gibbs’ community leadership spans far beyond his work with the conservancy. Read about some of the other initiatives that earned him the 2024 Ella Mae Johnson Service Award from the campus African American Alumni Association of CWRU.
“Education and experience matter, but how you connect with people is the determining factor in your success. How you make people feel is what they will remember.”
— Donté Gibbs