Born and raised in Superior, Arizona, Ali McKittrick grew up in a small town “thirty miles from nowhere,” as she describes it, surrounded by mountains and nature. Alongside her four brothers, her childhood was filled with hiking, exploring the creek behind their family home and participating in the town’s annual fiesta, a celebration of its Spanish roots.

At 20, Ali met a New Jersey boy in Arizona for luthier training and took what was meant to be a one-week trip to visit him in Florida. That week turned into a year, and a year later, they married. The couple spent the next decade in Orlando before relocating to Northeastern Pennsylvania after attending her sister-in-law’s wedding. After falling in love with the area’s natural beauty, they decided to make Freeland their home where they raised two children, now young adults, and recently became first-time grandparents.

Ali’s career journey to becoming the Director of Hazleton Area Parks & Recreation is anything but conventional. A self-taught artist, over the years she’s honed her skills in graphic design, web development and marketing. Her success in leading a $1.2 million fundraising campaign for the Hazleton Art League paved the way for her current role. Now in her third year, Ali is revitalizing Hazleton’s parks and events, drawing thousands to celebrations like the Fourth of July fireworks and the inaugural Rockin’ the Mountain.

In her office at City Hall, Ali shared her vision for incorporating art into the parks through community-led mural projects. And of course, we had to know: Why NEPA?

How long have you lived in NEPA?

It’ll be 20 years next year.

What do you love about your town?

I love the name, “Land of the Free.” That’s actually what drew me in first. I love the name, but it’s also a really cute little town. It has everything I need: a little grocery store I go to all the time and a couple of diners. It’s interesting how similar it is to where I grew up. I actually compared the population of my hometown with this one, and they’re very similar. I thought that was interesting. In my hometown in Arizona, the industry was also mining, but copper mining, which is different. I thought that was interesting too. Where I live now, my house is near 700 acres of land with tons of wooded trails, and that really draws me in. I love the trees, the greenery and the mountains. That kind of stuff just does it for me.

What’s your favorite NEPA restaurant?  

There are so many, and I have to keep it simple because, for the most part, I’m a simple girl. I like diners. Whenever I visit a new city, I love going to a diner. Someone once told me that you can judge a diner by the potatoes they serve, which I thought was interesting. What I like about the White Haven Diner is that it has lots of little nooks and crannies, and it really captures that diner feel—people talking, movement, all of it. After I’m done eating, I always like to go for a walk. There’s a Lehigh Gorge area in the back with a river running right next to it, which is really nice. Or, if I head the other way, there’s a lot of woods. I just feel like I’m getting two-for-one when I go to the diner.

What’s your favorite thing to do in NEPA?

I love seeing the waterfalls. It has to be something in nature. Honestly, as I was telling you, I’ve traveled a lot, and Colorado is one of my favorite states, but there are so many places I’ve been. I feel like Pennsylvania, especially this area, has so many of those features I really love and it’s right here in our backyard. For me, it’s always the nature that draws me the most. We’re close enough to a lot of different things, but I’m still amazed by how many waterfalls there are here, like at Ricketts Glen. It’s really enjoyable. I take my family there when they visit and Hawk Falls is another kind of hidden gem. Sometimes I’ll just park, sit next to a river and enjoy the water or take a walk along it. There are a bunch of really cool spots like that.

What’s next for you?

I have big plans for the department. I really want to focus on the parks, and as I was telling you, I’d love to bring murals into the parks. I think it’s a way to combine my love for art with the opportunity to share that with the community, giving everyone the chance to appreciate it.

As for events, I’m always working to make them bigger, better and more enriching for people. The longer I’m here, the more opportunities I’ll have to do that. I truly value people, and that’s a big part of this job. This occupation is all about serving people, and I want to make sure that the things I do have a real impact.

Our parks touch all different age groups. We have parks for little kids, with playgrounds, and for teenagers playing basketball and softball. I like to say we have a park for everyone. Some are more passive, while others are more active. With 16 parks in the city, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. I want to spend more time working on that and collaborating with bigger organizations to use the parks for cool events. That’s the kind of stuff I have in mind.

Where do you see NEPA heading in the future?

I feel like there’s been a lot of development, and it’s definitely a growing city and area. There are talks about expanding trails and connecting them, which I think is a great way to utilize the space we have for the best purposes. Development is key for growth and I’m seeing that happen.

For me, it always comes back to art. I think people are valuing it more, and I see the potential for more art, not just on walls but also on benches, sculptures and other public spaces. I’m noticing more of that in NEPA, which is really exciting. Art is a universal language that everyone can understand; it just connects people. I think that’s incredibly important.

Why NEPA?

I’ve lived in bigger cities, and I never miss the traffic or the long lines. It’s the opposite of that here. I really like the pace of life here—it’s much slower and people aren’t rushing all the time to get everywhere. And I think people here are genuinely kind to each other.

When I first moved here 20 years ago, I remember thinking how different it felt compared to the west coast. What I’ve realized here is that people have deep roots, and once you get to know them, you see how rich and grounded they are. The small-town feel and the deep connections people have are beautiful to me.

The area itself is really beautiful too, especially in the summer and fall, and even in the spring. There’s beauty in the winter too, especially when I’m inside and my husband is out there shoveling! Oddly enough, it combines the best of both worlds for me—the mountains of Arizona and the greenery of Florida. It really has a bit of both and I enjoy it a lot. The nature here is so beautiful, and I think the people are truly kind-hearted—salt of the Earth people.