Conservation Voters of PA Selects Molly Parzen to Serve as Next Executive Director

Conservation Voters of PA Selects
Molly Parzen to Serve as Next Executive Director

Contact: Anthony Campisi
(732) 266-8221
Anthony@ceislermedia.com

After an extensive national search, Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania has selected Molly Parzen, a proven environmental champion with a distinguished career in advocacy, to serve as its next Executive Director.

Parzen was named permanent Executive Director after serving as interim head of CVPA and following more than a decade of service at the advocacy organization.

“Molly is an ideal candidate to lead Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania into this next chapter of environmental advocacy,” said CVPA Board Chair Joanne Kilgour. “She has a long and distinguished track record as a leader, as well as the talent and dedication to be a forceful advocate for environmental protection across our great commonwealth, leading efforts to elect environmental champions at every level of state and local government.”

Parzen comes to the helm of Conservation Voters of PA at a critical time in the fight to combat the climate crisis and protect Pennsylvanian’s right to clean air, pure water and open space.

“I’m honored to have been chosen to lead Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania at this historic moment in the fight to protect our environment while creating new jobs and economic opportunities for Pennsylvania’s working families as we build a more sustainable future,” Parzen said. “Going into a critical election season that will determine control of the Governor’s Office and both houses of the state legislature, I’m prepared to hit the ground running to work collaboratively with our fantastic team, our dedicated volunteers and our partner organizations to achieve major wins for the environment.”

Under her leadership as interim Executive Director, CVPA built a new partnership with the national League of Conservation Voters to advocate on behalf of President Biden’s landmark environment, climate and jobs plan.

Parzen also led efforts to support Governor Wolf’s plan to curb greenhouse gas pollution by joining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and worked with other coalition partners to head off dangerous efforts by legislative leaders to weaken environmental protections that keep families safe. At the same time, she has worked to hone CVPA’s message and identify new environmental champions by deploying an innovative research and canvass in Chester County, a key swing area.

“As closely aligned partners with Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania, PennFuture looks forward to working with Molly to build greater capacity and leadership through the civic engagement and democracy advocacy work that we pursue in tandem, and to build power on the ground to address issues impacting Pennsylvania’s climate and clan energy future,” said Jacquelyn Bonomo, President and CEO of PennFuture, with whom CVPA has a strategic partnership.

Prior to being named interim Executive Director, Parzen spent three years as CVPA’s Assistant Director and seven years as Development Director, where she played an integral role in developing and executing the strategy that grew CVPA into Pennsylvania’s premier statewide political voice for the environment, investing millions of dollars to elect pro-environment candidates at the state and local levels while empowering grassroots advocates to push for policies in Harrisburg that conserve open space, protect open space, clean air and drinking water and that build a clean energy future.

Parzen’s advocacy work began immediately after graduating from Bryn Mawr College, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, when she rose through the ranks as aide, finance director and campaign manager for federal, state and local political campaigns in the greater Philadelphia area. She has also served as a fundraising consultant on behalf of non-profits and organizations that serve the Jewish community.

Parzen follows Josh McNeil, who left his position last year after more than a decade serving as CVPA’s founding Executive Director for a new opportunity steering national environmental advocacy grantmaking.

Parzen has called Pennsylvania home for more than 15 years and resides in South Philadelphia with her husband.

 

###