Chris Appleton

Chris Appleton grew up in eastern Washington in the four-season climate of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. With abundant rivers, lakes, and mountains nearby, weekends were spent with his high school’s “outdoor” club cycling, hiking, camping, and, in winter, cross-country skiing. 

Going to college in California allowed for more exploration in the Sierra Nevada, along the California Coast and Redwoods, and an introduction to the Basin and Range country at Joshua Tree and Death Valley National Parks. Chris says, “The defining year that cemented my love of nature was in college in 1974. My roommate took me to see the Everglades, and then I went on a college-sponsored 1,100-mile canoe trip down the Back River in Canada to the Arctic Ocean. I felt this connection and reverence with the environment as often described by Indigenous people. And I wanted to protect it for the beauty and joy it brought to me.” 

Chris went on to become an academic cardiologist, first at the University of Arizona and for the last 30 years at the Mayo Clinic Arizona. In addition to seeing patients and teaching, he has authored or co-authored over 100 scientific publications on his specialty, ultrasound of the heart. He has been a Professor of Medicine since 2004 and was Division Chair for 10 years.

“It is a great honor to serve on the Board of the National Park Trust –  to work with an organization that honors the legacy of expanding America’s most precious natural and regenerative places, to help preserve them for future generations, and to introduce kids who otherwise may not have been able to experience them. This is exciting work! The enthusiasm of my fellow Board members to find resources and solutions to fulfill the Park Trust’s mission is infectious. I have been waiting 50 years for this opportunity; I am ready and grateful.”