Ruth Coleman [State Park Protector]

By: Editor | March 09, 2011 | Ten by Ten

California is home to some of nature’s most spectacular beaches, waterfalls, parks and natural reserves. Director of California State Parks Ruth Coleman is the lady behind the preservation and protection of these picturesque gems. Coleman was appointed chief deputy for California State Parks in 2002, and throughout her career, she has always undertaken a proactive role in the aid and defense of impoverished people, wildlife and natural habitats. She has previously worked as policy director for Assemblywoman Helen Thomson (D-Sacramento) and was in charge of issues pertaining to water, agriculture and land use. She was also a Peace Corps volunteer in Swaziland, South Africa, where she taught mathematics for three years. Coleman is continually working to meet the outdoor recreational needs of Californians and to protect the state’s pristine resources and natural diversity.

Name one person you most admire, past or present, and why?
Fredrick Law Olmstead; he not only designed Central Park and set a new standard for urban parks, but he also laid the groundwork for a vision for the Yosemite Valley. What made him so remarkable was his ability to see into the future and plan for it. In the 1860s, when he laid out a plan for this new public park called Yosemite, few had ever even seen the valley. Yet, he predicted that in 100 years, millions would visit.

How would you define happiness?
Happiness is having uninterrupted time to spend with family and close friends.

How would you define the role of art in modern society?
Art calms people and allows their imaginations to flow. Whereas a century ago most people had to create their own art, today we reproduce music and art electronically so we can consume it. Art affects us whether we are creating or consuming, but I think people feel art’s power more when they create it themselves. That’s why it’s so wrong cut to music and art in the schools. Today, we need the healing power of art more than ever.

What is the best career advice you’ve ever received, and who gave it to you?
“Never believe your own press releases.” I learned this from a fellow political appointee cautioning a group of us to avoid a common trap of public life. It is easy to hear praise, to believe the spin, and much harder to take a look at oneself humbly, with an eye toward objectivity. If we never get honest feedback, we stop growing.

What artist (musician, poet, painter, etc.) has had the greatest impact on your life and how?
Pablo Casals, the cellist. As a kid, I used to listen to his recording of the Bach Unaccompanied Cello Suites for hours and would then sit down and try to reproduce it on my own cello … quite unsuccessfully. But he inspired me nonetheless.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Buying locally, sustainably grown meats, produce and dairy every single time I shop. My family has subscribed to a local farm for a weekly box of fruits and vegetables for nearly 15 years, and the cost is quite a bit higher than buying conventional food. Meats are nearly double the cost of conventional food from a large food chain. I just feel that if we all “vote with our fork,” we can collectively make a difference in the health of the land we all depend on.

How would you like to be remembered?
As a park director who fought hard to preserve and protect our 278 state parks for the future and who managed a team that achieved a high level of professional excellence and integrity.

Favorite all-time …
Song: Bach B Minor Mass (I performed this last summer in a local production; it is both complex and inspired, and I hear something new each time I listen to it.)
Movie: Sound of Music (This is my earliest movie memory: I was 5, and my parents drove us an hour to a big theater. The opening scenes of the mountains of Austria took my breath away even as a little kid.)
Painting: Great Canyon of the Sierra, Yosemite, by Thomas Hill that hangs in the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento
Book: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. It always makes me happy.
TV Show: The West Wing

How would you define love?
Love is making a commitment to cherish, support, accept and tell the truth to someone forever.

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be and why?
I would like to see all people act as stewards of the Earth and live their lives in a way that ensures a sustainable future for our children.

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