Smokies Life CEO recognized with lifetime achievement award

Smokies Life is pleased to announce that CEO Laurel Rematore will be recognized with the Excellence in Cooperating Association Partnership Award at the National Park Service’s Excellence in Service Awards to be held Aug. 21 in Washington, D.C. This lifetime achievement award recognizes an individual who has made significant and lasting contributions throughout their career to strengthen partnerships between the National Park Service and cooperating associations.

 

Rematore has served the cooperating association community across two decades in numerous leadership roles. Following a corporate career in the aerospace industry, she followed her passion for public lands, transitioning to a position with the Yosemite Association as membership and development director (2001–2008). She then became the executive director of the Mesa Verde Museum Association (2008–2015) before taking the helm of Smokies Life, a nonprofit partner to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in 2016.

 

During her eight-year tenure, Rematore has guided Smokies Life through both historic challenges and a number of notable achievements: providing financial and in-kind support of basic park visitor services during government shutdowns and the COVID-19 pandemic; creating an employee–retiree relief fund in the aftermath of the 2016 Gatlinburg-area fires; supporting Superintendent Cassius Cash’s 2021 Smokies Hikes for Healing initiative; forming a diverse, compensated publications advisory committee; supporting the 2023 launch of the Park It Forward parking tag program; rebranding the organization and its membership program in 2024; and increasing the organization’s annual financial support of Great Smoky Mountains National Park to $1.75 million in 2024, bringing the total amount contributed to the park since the organization’s founding from $35 million in 2015 (prior to her tenure) to more than $50 million by 2023.

 

“Laurel has championed an inclusive team culture, encouraged open communication, valued diverse perspectives, and fostered strong, collaborative relationships between all the park’s partners,” said former Smokies Life board chair Mitch Crisp. “Under her direction, the Smokies Life retail, wholesale, membership, and publishing programs have flourished, enriching the visitor experience for millions.”

 

Rematore’s leadership at park partner organizations has been matched by her leadership within the larger cooperating association community. She has served on the boards of both regional and national professional organizations—from the Peaks, Plateaus, and Canyons Association (PPCA) to the Public Lands Alliance (PLA). Her commitment to learning inspired her to offer dozens of training sessions, PLA convention presentations, and online forum contributions that collectively advanced the professionalism and creativity of cooperating association staff nationwide. She balances bold innovation with thoughtful fiscal responsibility, all in the service of public lands.

 

“I can’t think of a more worthy candidate to receive a lifetime achievement award dedicated to ‘individuals who have made a significant contribution to cooperating association programs,’” said Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Cassius Cash. “The work of the Smokies has been made greater through Laurel’s time as the CEO of Smokies Life, a legacy that will continue to pay dividends for decades to come.”

 

The Excellence in Cooperating Association Partnership Award recognizes an individual who has made significant and lasting contributions throughout their career to strengthen partnerships between the National Park Service and cooperating associations. The NPS Excellence in Service Awards ceremony is open to the public and will be held in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, August 21, at 3 p.m. Attendees should register by Wednesday, August 7. Learn more at give.nationalparks.org.