Melody (Mel) Boehl is the executive director for Hawai‘i Pacific Parks Association (HPPA). She has over thirty years of leadership experience and a Bachelor of Science degree, Magna Cum Laude, in business administration. Mel started her professional career with Big Four public accounting firm KPMG, then moved into leadership roles with the large nonprofits Blue Diamond Growers and Sutter Health. Mel and her husband, Andy, moved to Hawai‘i in 2015, where she joined the HPPA ʻohana as the business director before assuming the executive director position in 2022. We are celebrating her 10th anniversary with HPPA this month.
What first sparked your passion for national parks and led you to work with HPPA?
I didn’t grow up with much, but my dad had this passion for the outdoors. We had a farm, and his goal was to visit every national park in the U.S. Every summer, he’d close our used furniture business and we’d hit the road. Yosemite became our home base, and we’d visit about four or five different national parks each year. My whole childhood was filled with these adventures.
At one of our favorite campgrounds, Summerdale, near Fish Camp outside Yosemite, they held what we called “Ranger Night.” There was this big bonfire, we’d roast marshmallows, and the ranger would give different talks every week. That kind of freedom—catching pollywogs, tubing down rivers, and hiking—just fueled my love for the parks.
I grew up amazed at how unique each park was: the geysers and wildlife of Yellowstone, the beauty of Montana’s parks. When I turned 14, I got my first job with the U.S. Forest Service, which was so exciting—I even got to ride in helicopters during forest fires!
A pivotal moment came when I was 15. In geometry class, I got a note asking if I’d like to get paid to work in Yosemite for the summer. That was through a program called Upward Bound, designed for underserved youth. We did college classes during the school year and worked in the parks during the summer. Those summers really shaped me—backpacking, taking water samples, leading night hikes. The rangers I worked with were passionate about stewardship, and that idea of caring for the land took deep root in me.
Even after college, my family kept up the tradition of visiting national parks each summer. When I moved to Hawaiʻi, I felt a similar love for the natural beauty of Hawaiʻi. My husband and I would explore Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and when I saw a job opening with Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association (HPPA), I knew I had to go for it. It felt like coming full circle—my first job was with the U.S. Forest Service, and now my last job would involve supporting national parks. It’s meaningful work, and that’s important to me.
What was your first day like with HPPA?
I remember it distinctly. the HPPA administrative office was based inside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park at the time, in a beautiful historic building that used to be a residence. My new boss, Margot Griffith, gave me a tour, and I immediately felt at home. I grew up in a historic home, so I appreciated the quirks—like pocket doors that didn’t quite work anymore.
Margot’s warmth made me feel valued, and though there was a lot to do, I didn’t mind learning the ropes on my own. I have a background in facilitation and project management, so I started volunteering to help. The team was small but mighty, and I quickly felt like I was where I belonged—combining my love for the parks with my retail experience. I even got to meet our retail team and see how engaged and invested they were.
I left work that day feeling great—though I did get a speeding ticket on the way home!
What was yesterday like in contrast?
As the Executive Director, my focus now is on overseeing HPPA operations, strategic goals, staff development and support, board and park partner communications. It’s a challenging job, but rewarding.
Much of my time is invested in working with our park partners as they navigate the changes to the NPS organization. The National Park Service/Department Of Interior is undergoing department consolidations and eliminations. This means that our park partners are looking to HPPA to fill in new gaps through our donations and staff support.
I am also working on our next strategic plan with our leadership team. We achieved all of our strategic goals that were established when I assumed the executive director role in 2022, including record sales and park donations over the past three years. The COVID crisis caused many of our park store and other operations to be shut down in 2020 and 2021. We were excited to restart operations and seized opportunities to improve park relations, initiate new product development, and invest more in community support and sales/profit results.
We are a small organization with very low overhead. We do a lot with a little. That is my biggest challenge. I work hard to balance our ability to deliver excellent products and educate and give excellent service to national parks visitors, while also working to make sure we maximize park support and donations.
What is one of the most exciting projects HPPA has been involved in recently?
The current and projected remodels at the national park visitor centers are exciting. Most of the buildings are historic, and they haven’t been updated in years. It’s been great to collaborate with our park partners to rethink the space and create more meaningful, interactive experiences for visitors.
I’m also excited about our new mobile visitor center trailer for Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. It’s outfitted and wrapped in signage. We plan to place it in a busy parking lot to connect with visitors and drive sales. We also hope to use it for outreach events. It’s a great opportunity to engage more people in the park.
I am also pleased with our support of the parks as they navigate recent changes to operations and staffing. With our help, the parks have been able to keep important programs running at successful levels, such as those that support endangered species work and other resource management priorities, as well as interpretation and education programs.
What is one unique item or product you’re especially proud of that we sell?
That’s a tough one! I love so many of our products.
Each of our products is thoughtfully curated, and we take pride in their quality and the stories they tell. Even the NPS Director and the Director of Interpretation from Washington, D.C. have complimented us on the quality of our products, which makes us feel incredibly proud of our talented team.
I am especially pleased with our custom plushies. We worked with national parks staff to develop realistic plush animals that are also captivating to our park store visitors. The plushies are also special because their sales results in a direct donation to the parks endangered species programs; HPPA donates $1 to the parks for each plushie sold. We recently introduced a plushie pueo (Hawaiian owl). It has been a huge hit.
How does HPPA work with local businesses and artists to bring Hawaiʻi to the visitor?
Supporting local businesses and artists is a top priority. Whenever we’re considering a new product, we always look for a Hawaiʻi-based source first. We also focus on bringing in handmade products as much as possible. If we can’t source locally, we look for vendors in the U.S., and only as a last resort do we go overseas.
We also attend cultural festivals and craft fairs like Made in Hawaiʻi and Made in Maui, looking for new vendors to work with. Our area managers and creative services director always go to these events with a mission in mind. Everything we sell has to be approved by the parks for the visitor center stores, so we often bring our NPS partners along to these events to help build relationships with vendors.
We’re also involved in cultural demonstrations at the parks. For example, at the National Park of American Samoa we support a program where practitioners are paid to weave traditional items, and we may be able to sell their products in the future. It’s a great way to help these artisans generate some income while offering visitors something culturally genuine.
What’s the secret to keeping HPPA financially strong while staying true to the mission?
There are four main factors. First, having a sound financial strategy and managing those goals actively. Second, maintaining strong partnerships with the national parks to ensure we’re providing meaningful products that support both our mission and theirs. Third, our people—our team is dedicated and passionate about engaging visitors and sharing the stories of the parks. Finally, constantly seeking innovative, unique products that help us increase margins and contribute more to the parks.
Our Board of Directors is also incredibly supportive, and we’re blessed to have members who are deeply immersed in Hawaiian culture. They help us stay grounded in our mission and vision.
What’s the big dream for HPPA in the next five to ten years?
Our immediate focus is to continue our support of our park partners as they navigate significant changes, and to successfully launch the remodeled visitors and park stores.
I also want to ensure we have a solid succession plan. My goal is to set up the next generation at HPPA for success. We have an amazing team, and I want to make sure they have the tools, training, and environment to thrive. When I eventually retire, I want to leave knowing HPPA it is in an even better place than when I started.
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