Diane Goddard and Darla Sidles were elected the newest members of Rocky Mountain Conservancy’s Board of Directors at the leadership team’s most recent meeting Feb. 28th in Estes Park.

“We’re delighted to add Diane and Darla to the Conservancy leadership team as we look ahead to the financial and operational challenges facing Rocky Mountain National Park and our other public lands,” said Walt Borneman, board president. “Each brings lifelong experience and passion in leading beloved public organizations and serving their constituencies.”

Goddard joined the board as a member and treasurer. Her extensive experience in strategic planning and financial management comes from more than 36 years in leadership positions at the University of Kansas including comptroller, vice provost for Administration and Finance, and chief financial officer. Some highlights from her past work include successful initiatives to generate revenue and cost savings of $51 million and overseeing a $350 million project to construct new infrastructure including science facilities, dormitories, a student union, and a central power plant.

Originally from the state of New York, Goddard graduated from Southern Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in economics and earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Kansas. She retired from the university in 2020 but advises campus leaders on budget reviews and optimization practices with the National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Diane, husband Stephen, and their three children, vacationed in Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park every summer for 35 years. Because of their love of Rocky and the many outdoor activities in the park and connection to the Estes Valley, they purchased a home in Estes Park in 2016 where they now live full time and regularly enjoy hosting their lifelong friends.

“We enjoy watching our four grandchildren discover all the magic of Rocky Mountain National Park and develop their own deep love of nature as well as the understanding of the need to protect and conserve this amazing natural resource,” said Goddard.

Former Superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park Darla Sidles’ first exposure to the park came as a 9-year-old traveling with her family to their first National Park Service (NPS) experience. After more than three decades of a rewarding career with the NPS, she came full circle back to Rocky and completed her federal service in Colorado in 2023.

Sidles began her federal career as a Student Conservation Association (SCA) volunteer in the North Cascade mountains in Washington State. She worked summers as a U.S. Forest Service wilderness ranger while obtaining her business degree at the University of Texas at Arlington and then completed graduate school at Western Washington University.

Sidles’ 37-year career spanned numerous national parks and sites across the country including Arches and Zion in Utah; Big Bend in Texas; Denali in Alaska; NPS headquarters in Washington, D.C.; Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia; Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California; Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument and Saguaro National Park in Arizona; and, finally, the last seven years at Rocky where her leadership was critical in navigating challenges including the pandemic and historic wildfires.

Sidles and her husband reside primarily in Arizona but regularly return to the Rockies where she says, “the park and its communities remain firmly in my heart.”

Joining Borneman as returning board president and Goddard as the new treasurer, are Christina Kraft serving as vice president and Rich Fedorchak returning as secretary. In addition to Sidles, other board members are Brian Ross, Greg Danielson, Timothy Davis, Liza Grant, Laurie Mathews, Claudine Perrault, Jim Pickering, Kim Skyelander, and Zachary Wiebe.