Latest News
Gay Vietzke Named Director of NPS Northeast Region
Release Date: July 21, 2017
Contacts: Tom Crosson, thomas_crosson@nps.gov 202-208-6843
Gay Vietzke Named Director of National Park Service’s Northeast Region
WASHINGTON – Today, acting National Park Service (NPS) Director Michael T. Reynolds announced the selection of Gay Vietzke as regional director for the Northeast Region of the NPS. Vietzke currently serves as the superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, D.C.
In her new role, Vietzke will oversee operations for 83 national parks, 22 national heritage areas, 1,102 national heritage landmarks, 154 national natural landmarks and many other associated sites within the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The Northeast Region has a budget of nearly $320 million and more than 3,000 employees.
“Gay’s expertise and experience leading one of the NPS’s most visible and complex parks and her familiarity with the Northeast Region makes her the right choice for the role of Regional Director,” said Reynolds “Gay’s strong stewardship of the National Mall and Memorial Parks earned her the respect and admiration of her colleagues and park supporters in D.C., and I am confident that her commitment to strong partnerships and parks will serve her and the Northeast Region well.”
Vietzke served as the Northeast Region’s deputy regional director from 2011 to 2015, leading the region’s park operations, resource stewardship and science, and external affairs and partnerships programs.
Among her many other NPS assignments, she served as the superintendent of Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, and Hampton National Historic Site in Maryland, where she was instrumental in creating a Baltimore-based youth employment program. She managed the design and construction of the eco-friendly Fort McHenry Visitor and Education Center; a $15 million partnership-funded facility. Additionally, she served as superintendent of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site in Oyster Bay, N.Y., where she oversaw the park’s general management plan, strengthened relationships with partners and opened the newly rehabilitated Old Orchard Museum.
Vietzke holds a bachelor of arts in art history from the University of Connecticut and a master of science in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania.
Vietzke will begin her assignment with the Northeast Region in early September. An announcement regarding leadership of National Mall and Memorial Parks after Veitzke’s departure will be made soon.
