Matthew Gomez has always wanted to help shape park experiences. As a teenager, his first job was with his local Parks and Recreation department in Michigan, running community events and helping maintain recreation spaces. Today, as senior parks program manager for Save the Redwoods League, he leads all aspects of the League’s Parks Program, including project management and infrastructure planning in redwood parks.

“Parks are some of the few places where everyone is welcome,” says Gomez. “I get to think strategically about the grand design of parks, while also focusing on the little details—how people interact with parks and ways we can create experiences that they’ll take home as life-long memories.”

Gomez holds a B.A. in Education from the University of Michigan and a Master of Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois Chicago. Prior to joining Save the Redwoods League, he garnered over 15 years of planning and project management experience, including planning naval facilities in the Washington D.C. area, managing park development for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, and planning a variety of real estate projects in Chicago. Gomez also managed land use projects for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Illinois, supervising trail review committees and working on infrastructure projects.

In his role with Save the Redwoods League, Gomez develops and implements pragmatic approaches to complex projects that improve recreational infrastructure in state, national, and local redwood parks and on Save the Redwoods’ properties. By shepherding the planning, design, funding, and construction stages of capital projects in redwood parks, Gomez keeps these projects moving smoothly while coordinating and maintaining strong bonds with key partners, including the California Department of Parks and Recreation, tribal partners, and other public land agencies.

Gomez’s work helps provide inclusive and inspirational park experiences to all who visit, while also protecting the integrity of redwood forests. He also leads public access planning on Save the Redwoods properties and proactively seeks out opportunities to improve park designs.

“I’ve spent most of my career building spaces accessible to everyone, especially those who don’t have many safe spaces. My oldest son has a profound disability, and I want to make sure that he and others like him are able to visit beautiful outdoor spaces like the redwoods and be inspired by nature.”