Trust for Public Land Names Elizabeth Class-Maldonado as Associate Vice President and Pennsylvania State Director
Trust for Public Land (TPL) today announced the appointment of Elizabeth Class-Maldonado as Associate Vice President and Pennsylvania State Director. In this role, Class-Maldonado will lead TPL’s statewide efforts to connect communities to the parks, trails, and protected open spaces that strengthen health, climate resilience, and quality of life.
From preserving historic landscapes like Valley Forge and the Appalachian Trail to transforming spaces like Philadelphia’s Lanier Playground into thriving neighborhood assets, Trust for Public Land has been shaping healthier, more resilient communities in Pennsylvania for more than four decades.
Since 1980, TPL has protected 3,710 acres of land, connected over 257,000 people to the outdoors, and completed or advanced 42 projects statewide. Through its Community Schoolyards program, TPL also helps capture more than 120 million gallons of stormwater annually, reducing flooding, improving climate resilience, and ensuring that these benefits reach the communities that need them most.
“Elizabeth’s leadership is grounded in community engagement, innovative design, and a commitment to equity,” said Owen Franklin, Vice President of Eastern Region Field Programs for Trust for Public Land. “She brings both the vision and the on-the-ground expertise to expand access to quality green spaces across Pennsylvania.”
Class-Maldonado joined TPL in 2020, bringing extensive experience in community development and design. Before joining TPL, she worked at an architecture firm in Camden, NJ, focused on affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization, and led the Puerto Rican Art Center at LEAP Academy University Charter School, empowering youth through arts and education. She holds dual degrees in Environmental Design and Art History and a Master of Architecture from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. She also serves as Vice-Chair of the Center for Design Philadelphia, where she leads the Design Education and Designing Futures Committees.
“I’m honored to lead Trust for Public Land’s work in Pennsylvania and to help ensure that every person has access to nature,” said Class-Maldonado. “TPL is advancing critical impact with partners across the Commonwealth, through park development, land protection, and planning around shared priorities. I’m thrilled to help move this work forward.”
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. We work alongside communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most, and to make sure everyone can access them. Since 1972, we have created more than 5,420 parks, protected 4 million acres of land, connected 9.7 million people to the outdoors, and generated over $110 billion in public funding for conservation. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
