Lehnertz Named Pacific West Regional Director
Will lead one of seven National Park Service regions
WASHINGTON – National Park Service (NPS) Director Jonathan Jarvis has named Christine S. Lehnertz as the Service’s Pacific West regional director, responsible for 3,000 employees and 58 national parks visited by more than 56 million people annually. She reports for duty in mid-August to the Oakland, California, headquarters.
“I am delighted that Chris has accepted this opportunity to lead our team in the Pacific West,” Jarvis said. “She is a proven leader and an accomplished manager who brings a fresh perspective to the work we do on behalf of the American people. As deputy superintendent at Yellowstone National Park and most recently as acting associate director for cultural resources in Washington, DC, Chris has shown an uncanny ability to get to the heart of any issue, develop consensus, and get things done. She is respected by her peers and our employees and will be a great addition to our senior management team.”
“The parks in the Pacific West region are an amazing microcosm of the entire National Park System: a mix of stunning natural beauty and authentic American history,” Lehnertz said. "Throughout the region, the National Park Service’s community programs are helping towns and cities preserve their own heritage and create places where kids of all ages can get outside and be active. While the responsibilities of regional director are daunting, I am excited about taking on the challenge and with the prospect of working with the top-notch employees, partners, and volunteers who work in the Pacific West and throughout the National Park Service.”
Lehnertz replaces Jarvis as the Pacific West regional director. The position has been filled on an acting basis since Jarvis was confirmed as National Park Service director in September 2009.
Lehnertz has been the National Park Service’s acting associate director for cultural resources since April 2. She served as deputy superintendent of Yellowstone National Park since 2007 where she was responsible for all aspects of human resources, budget, and natural and cultural resource management and science programs. She also had oversight of more than 100 park concessioners with $100 million in annual gross revenue and ensured that the park’s large portfolio of construction and maintenance projects complied with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act.
From 2004-2007, Lehnertz served as director of ecosystems protection programs in the Denver regional office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where she led a large multi-disciplinary staff to implement federal environmental laws including the Clean Water, Safe Drinking Water, and National Environmental Policy Acts. She managed partnerships with states and tribes, environmental and natural resource departments, and with local government and non-governmental organizations, including responsibilities for $129 million in annual grants. Her work with EPA began in 1990.
Lehnertz earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology from the University of Colorado in Boulder and a secondary education teacher certificate from Metropolitan State College in Denver.
Lehnertz and Shari Dagg, her partner of 16 years, plan to bring their work with golden retriever rescue to their new home in the Bay Area.
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Lehnertz Named Pacific West Regional Director
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