Dennis Arguelles

Dennis comes to NPCA after over 20 years of nonprofit management and advocacy experience in Los Angeles’ low income, immigrant, and ethnic communities. He has worked for several neighborhood-based organizations and is the past President and Executive Director of the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council, a coalition of over 30 community-based institutions. He also served as the Assistant Director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center and as an appointee to various city and county commissions. As a child, Dennis grew up in the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest, leading to a lifelong passion for backpacking, kayaking, fishing and other outdoor activities. He is particularly interested in connecting inner-city youth and urban communities to the natural environment. As an urban planner, he is also interested in open space access and equity issues and the preservation of cultural and historic places. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UCLA. Working for NPCA represents the coming together of many of his interests and passions, and he feels privileged to be working to expand, preserve, and strengthen our national parks.