Name: Public Lands Partnerships: The Fort Monroe National Monument Model
Start: 2025-11-10T19:00:00-05:00
Location: Tennessee Aquarium

Public Lands Partnerships: The Fort Monroe National Monument Model

Scott Martin, CEO, Fort Monroe Authority
Former Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors Administrator
With special guest, Hamilton County Historian Linda Moss Mines
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.
Martin will be introduced by Hamilton County Historian, 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.