The Relevance of Community Involvement in a National Park City

The 20th Annual Rita Vital Memorial Moccasin Bend Fall Lecture Series continues on Monday, October 20 at 7: 00 pm in the Tennessee Aquarium River Journey Auditorium. 

The speakers for the evening will be M. Ann Belkov, retired, National Park Service, Former Superintendent of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (CCNMP) and special guest, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly.

National Park Partners presents three unique Moccasin Bend Lecture Series events each fall with fascinating speakers and topics related to National Parks and conservation; Indigenous culture and history; and Chattanooga’s place in the U.S. Civil War. Founded in 2006, the series is underwritten by TN State Rep. Greg A. Vital and now celebrates its 20th anniversary thanks to his generous sponsorship.

All lectures are FREE and open to the public.

Recordings of previous lectures are available on-demand on our YouTube Channel.

During her tenure as CCNMP Superintendent, Ann Belkov accomplished three major feats that distinguish her among past superintendents and remain highly relevant today. She organized the Friends of CCNMP, which began fundraising in 1986 for the expansion of the Visitor Center at Chickamauga Battlefield. Following that success, she rallied support for the restoration and installation of the James Walker mural in the new Visitor Center at Lookout Mountain Battlefield (the painting had been in a storage shed for more than 35 years). Finally, almost alone, she prevented a four-lane divided highway from being constructed through the middle of Chickamauga Battlefield. 

Retired Superintendent Belkov will discuss how community engagement was instrumental in these and other major accomplishments in the past, and how essential it continues to be given the National Park Service's current staffing and budget challenges.  She and Mayor Kelly will describe the potential for linking Chattanooga's National Park City designation with the tremendous resources of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, including Moccasin Bend National Archeological District.