National Park Service Names New Alaska Regional Director
The National Park Service (NPS) in Alaska has a new Regional Director. The agency named Sarah Creachbaum, a 22-year NPS veteran, to oversee operations for fifteen national parks, preserves, monuments, and national historical parks, as well as thirteen national wild rivers, two affiliated areas, and a national heritage area.
Creachbaum comes to the role from Olympic National Park in Washington, where she has served as the park’s superintendent since 2012. She begins her new role on January 16, moving to Alaska with her husband Bob and border collie Jimmy.
“I first fell in love with Alaska on a trip to Denali as a young adult and became deeply interested in the State’s issues while serving as the NPS Alaska desk officer in Washington, D.C. in 2005,” Creachbaum says. “I am thrilled to return to Alaska to lead the dedicated team of NPS professionals working to protect millions of acres of diverse and vital wilderness, preserve Alaska’s unique and important human history, and ensure Alaska’s Indigenous peoples’ lifeways thrive but also have a central voice in how the NPS carries out our stewardship responsibilities.”
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Creachbaum received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Arizona and a Master of Landscape Architecture from Utah State University. She has served as a national park superintendent since 2006, first at War in the Pacific National Historical Park in Guam, then at Haleakala National Park, and currently at Olympic National Park. She was also tapped to serve as the interim head of Grand Canyon National Park in 2019 and Lake Mead National Recreation Area in summer 2021.
“Throughout her career, Sarah has proven herself to be a skilled manager and effective leader with a demonstrated track record of innovation in resolving complex land management challenges,” says NPS Deputy Director Shawn Benge. “Sarah is also known for her inclusive approach to managing parks, ensuring local communities and Indigenous peoples’ voices are heard and reflected in decisions.”
The NPS in Alaska is also responsible for fifty National Historic Landmarks, sixteen National Natural Landmarks, and one of the United States’ twenty-four World Heritage Sites: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Glacier Bay National Park, jointly forming an international park system with neighboring Kluane National Park and Reserve and Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in Canada.
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