WASHINGTON, D.C. — A career veteran with 30 years experience as a successful manager, superintendent and park ranger has been selected to serve as the next Deputy Director of the National Park Service. Steve Martin has been appointed by Director Fran P. Mainella to fill the vacancy created by the recent departure of A. Durand “Randy” Jones.

The 52-year old Martin has served as the Director of the Intermountain Region of the National Park Service (NPS) since September 2003.

Martin will move from Denver, Colorado to Washington, D.C. to assume his new position in early April. Martin’s wide ranging experience includes serving as superintendent at Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway in Wyoming, Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska, and Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, also in Alaska.

“Steve has long demonstrated his skills as a resourceful manager and trusted, capable leader,” noted Director Mainella. “He brings energy, enthusiasm and extensive field experience to help us move the National Park Service forward in the 21st Century”.

Martin began his NPS career in 1975 as a park ranger at Grand Canyon National Park after graduating from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management. Steve next served as North District Ranger and Old Faithful District Ranger in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, as Chief of Resource Management and Visitor Protection at Voyagers National Park in Minnesota and returned to Yellowstone as Chief of Concessions Management before heading to Alaska.

“It is humbling and gratifying to be selected for this important position,” said Martin. “I’m looking forward to helping guide the National Park Service as we work to improve on our proud tradition as stewards of the special treasures the American people have set aside for this and future generations”.

As Deputy Director, Martin will have an integral role in managing 388 national parks covering over 84-million acres, more than 20-thousand employees and an annual budget of $2.6 billion dollars.

He has received several awards and honors for his supervisory and management accomplishments, including the Meritorious Service Award, the second highest honor awarded by the Department of the Interior.

Martin’s wife, Dr. Cyd Martin, is also a career employee of the National Park Service. She has been serving as Special Assistant for Intermountain Indian Affairs, reporting to headquarters in Washington, D.C. Their daughter Kate is a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their twin sons Case and Jesse recently graduated from St. Olaf College in Minnesota.