Public Lands Partnerships: The Fort Monroe National Monument Model

The 20th Annual Rita Vital Memorial Moccasin Bend Fall Lecture Series concludes on Monday, November 10 at 7: 00 pm in the Tennessee Aquarium River Journey Auditorium. 

Join us for an evening with Scott Martin, CEO, Fort Monroe Authority and Former Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors Administrator along with special guest, Hamilton County Historian Linda Moss Mines.

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.

Fort Monroe National Monument is the outgrowth of a beautiful partnership between the nonprofit Fort Monroe Authority, the National Park Service, and the City of Hampton, Virginia. Together these organizations maintain selected portions of the 565 acre park, providing tourists and residents with pleasant experiences all year round. Mr. Martin will outline how the partnership began, how its changed throughout the years, and how the best practices of this model for public lands management may be replicated in other communities. He will be introduced by Linda Moss Mines, who will share updates on activities in Chattanooga and Hamilton County currently being planned for the American 250 celebrations in 2026.

Prior to becoming the CEO of Fort Monroe Authority last December, Scott Martin served as Administrator of the Department of Parks and Outdoors (DPO) for the City of Chattanooga. He guided the development of the first comprehensive DPO plan in over 25 years, engaging more than 5,000 residents in the process, and helped secure $8.4 million in philanthropic and public funding for parks and recreation. Previously, Martin served as Executive Director of the River Heritage Conservancy in Indiana, where he led efforts to establish a 4,400+ acre urban park system celebrating the historic Falls of the Ohio River. Martin’s experience also includes serving as Parks Director for 21st Century Parks in Louisville, Kentucky, where he helped develop a 4,000-acre nonprofit-run park system. Earlier in his career, Martin was the first Director of Franklin County (VA) Commerce & Leisure Services. Martin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration from Boise State University. He is a Fellow of the American Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration, serves as North American Chair for World Urban Parks, and is recognized internationally for his work integrating conservation, recreation, and economic development in urban settings.