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Department
of the Interior Names
New
National Park Service Deputy Director
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Washington,
DC – January 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / The
Department of the Interior announces Paul Daniel (Dan) Smith as a new Deputy
Director of the National Park Service
(NPS). Smith brings nearly four decades of public service experience, including
serving as superintendent of Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia,
to this important leadership role.
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As
Deputy Director, Smith will have a crucial role in leading more than 20,000
National Park Service employees who care for America’s 417 national parks
and NPS programs that help communities across the nation preserve local
history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.
“Dan
has a strong record of leadership in the National Park Service both in
Washington and on the front lines as a superintendent of a park that tells
the stories of some of the most consequential moments in American history,”
said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. “I can think of no one
better equipped to help lead our efforts to ensure that the National Park
Service is on firm footing to preserve and protect the most spectacular
places in the United States for future generations.”
“It
is an honor and a privilege to return to Washington D.C., with the invaluable
perspective from the field that I gained during my time as Superintendent
of Colonial National Historical Park,” said Smith.
Smith
served as superintendent of Colonial National Historical Park from 2004
to 2015, where he managed a 23-mile parkway and three historic sites including
the first permanent British colony in America at Jamestown and the site
of the 1781 Revolutionary War victory of General George Washington over
British General Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. During his tenure at the park
Smith oversaw the completion of a new visitor center and a new research
center at Jamestown in preparation for the 400th anniversary commemoration
of the settlement in 2007.
Smith’s
other assignments in the National Park Service include serving as Special
Assistant to the National Park Service Director and Assistant Director
of Legislative and Congressional Affairs. He also served as Deputy Assistant
Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior,
where he was responsible for the multi-billion dollar budgets and programs
of the National Park Service and U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in coordination
with congressional representatives, state and local governments, and other
important partners. Smith worked at the General Services Administration
for ten years.
In
addition to Smith’s Executive Branch experience he has held numerous important
roles in the Legislative Branch as a staff member for a U.S. senator, a
congressman, and two congressional committees.
Smith
was born in Maine. A Vietnam War veteran, Smith served in the U.S. Army’s
4th Infantry. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and
Master of Science in Recreation Administration from the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill. He is an Eagle Scout.
About
the National Park Service
More
than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national
parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local
history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at
www.NPS.gov,
on Facebook Facebook.com/nationalparkservice,
Twitter Twitter.com/natlparkservice,
and YouTube YouTube.com/nationalparkservice.
Contact:
Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov
202-208-3100 |