Michael T. Reynolds | |
---|---|
Acting Director of the National Park Service | |
In office January 3, 2017 – January 24, 2018 | |
President | Donald Trump |
Preceded by | Jonathan Jarvis |
Succeeded by | P. Daniel Smith (Acting) |
Personal details | |
Alma mater |
University of California, Santa Barbara (
B.A.) Regis University ( M.A.) |
Occupation | National park administrator |
Michael T. Reynolds is a career parks administrator who served as an acting director of the United States National Park Service in the Trump administration.
Reynolds is a third-generation National Park Service employee. [1] He spent much of his childhood at Yosemite National Park, with his mother's family working concessions there. His father was a planner at the park. His grandfather was a park ranger at Yellowstone National Park. [1] [2]
Reynolds received a bachelor of arts degree in environmental studies at University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1985. He got a master’s in business administration at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. [1] [3]
He was a senior executive fellow at Harvard University in the spring of 2011. [3]
After college, Reynolds worked as a ranger, firefighter and biologist. [2]
He served for six years as a natural resource planner for the Parks Service in Denver. [2]
He held jobs at the Curecanti National Recreation Area in Colorado, Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts in 1994, and the Mojave National Preserve in California. [3] [2]
He was a resource manager, planner and division chief at Yosemite National Park. [1]
He became superintendent of Fire Island National Seashore in New York in 2004, deputy Northeast regional director of the National Park Service, and Midwest regional director of the National Park Service. [3] [2]
He moved to the National Park Service’s Washington headquarters in 2014, first as a director of workforce and inclusion and then as director of operations. [1]
In 2016, he testified before a House committee to acknowledge sexual harassment at many park sites and pledged to protect workers better. [4]
Reynolds became acting director of the Park Service in January 2017 when Jonathan Jarvis retired. [5]
Reynolds had an awkward start with President Donald Trump when the Park Service tweeted aerial photos of Trump's inauguration ceremony showing a crowd much smaller than the record-breaking crowd that Trump claimed. Trump reportedly phoned Reynolds and asked him to find new pictures. [1] [6]
Reynolds helped announce new national historical landmarks including the New York State Canal System and the Eldean Covered Bridge. [7] [8]
In June 2017, Reynolds reversed an Obama administration policy that had discouraged sales of bottled water at the parks. [9]
On January 24, 2018, Reynolds was moved out of the top parks job to lead Yosemite National Park in California. He led a staff of 800 there. [1]
On October 23, 2019, Reynolds was appointed as the National Park Service's regional director of the Department of the Interior Lower Colorado Basin, Upper Colorado Basin, and Arkansas- Rio Grande- Texas- Gulf regions. In this role he oversees 89 parks in nine states. [3]
Michael T. Reynolds | |
---|---|
Acting Director of the National Park Service | |
In office January 3, 2017 – January 24, 2018 | |
President | Donald Trump |
Preceded by | Jonathan Jarvis |
Succeeded by | P. Daniel Smith (Acting) |
Personal details | |
Alma mater |
University of California, Santa Barbara (
B.A.) Regis University ( M.A.) |
Occupation | National park administrator |
Michael T. Reynolds is a career parks administrator who served as an acting director of the United States National Park Service in the Trump administration.
Reynolds is a third-generation National Park Service employee. [1] He spent much of his childhood at Yosemite National Park, with his mother's family working concessions there. His father was a planner at the park. His grandfather was a park ranger at Yellowstone National Park. [1] [2]
Reynolds received a bachelor of arts degree in environmental studies at University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1985. He got a master’s in business administration at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. [1] [3]
He was a senior executive fellow at Harvard University in the spring of 2011. [3]
After college, Reynolds worked as a ranger, firefighter and biologist. [2]
He served for six years as a natural resource planner for the Parks Service in Denver. [2]
He held jobs at the Curecanti National Recreation Area in Colorado, Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts in 1994, and the Mojave National Preserve in California. [3] [2]
He was a resource manager, planner and division chief at Yosemite National Park. [1]
He became superintendent of Fire Island National Seashore in New York in 2004, deputy Northeast regional director of the National Park Service, and Midwest regional director of the National Park Service. [3] [2]
He moved to the National Park Service’s Washington headquarters in 2014, first as a director of workforce and inclusion and then as director of operations. [1]
In 2016, he testified before a House committee to acknowledge sexual harassment at many park sites and pledged to protect workers better. [4]
Reynolds became acting director of the Park Service in January 2017 when Jonathan Jarvis retired. [5]
Reynolds had an awkward start with President Donald Trump when the Park Service tweeted aerial photos of Trump's inauguration ceremony showing a crowd much smaller than the record-breaking crowd that Trump claimed. Trump reportedly phoned Reynolds and asked him to find new pictures. [1] [6]
Reynolds helped announce new national historical landmarks including the New York State Canal System and the Eldean Covered Bridge. [7] [8]
In June 2017, Reynolds reversed an Obama administration policy that had discouraged sales of bottled water at the parks. [9]
On January 24, 2018, Reynolds was moved out of the top parks job to lead Yosemite National Park in California. He led a staff of 800 there. [1]
On October 23, 2019, Reynolds was appointed as the National Park Service's regional director of the Department of the Interior Lower Colorado Basin, Upper Colorado Basin, and Arkansas- Rio Grande- Texas- Gulf regions. In this role he oversees 89 parks in nine states. [3]