Past Directors of the National Park Service

Sams served as the 19th National Park Service director from December 16, 2021, to January 20, 2025; filling the position that had been without a Senate-confirmed leader for nearly five years. He was the first Tribal citizen to be sworn in as the agency's director.

Jarvis served as the eighteenth NPS director from October 2, 2009, to January 3, 2017. Beginning his career during the nation's bicentennial celebration, he ended his career leading the National Park Service through its yearlong centennial celebration.

Bomar served as the seventeenth NPS director from October 17, 2006, to January 20, 2009. She was the first naturalized citizen to be the Director of the National Park Service and continued to lead the agency in the new century.

Mainella served as the sixteenth NPS director from July 18, 2001, to October 16, 2006. The first woman to head the 85-year-old agency, she came to the National Park Service with more than 30 years of experience in the park management and recreation field.

Stanton served as the fifteenth NPS director from August 4, 1997, to January of 2001. The first African American director, Stanton took a particular interest in increasing the diversity of the service's staff and public programs to better serve minority populations.

Kennedy served as the fourteenth NPS director from June 1, 1993, to March 29, 1997. As director, he was especially concerned about expanding the service's educational role and moved to enlarge its presence beyond the parks via the Internet.

Ridenour served as the thirteenth NPS director from April 17, 1989, to January 20, 1993. He favored alternatives to full federal acquisition of proposed parklands, stressed the importance of working with other government bodies and private entities to protect lands in and outside the system, and sought to achieve a greater financial return to the NPS from park concessions.

Mott served as the twelfth NPS director from May 17, 1985, to April 16, 1989. During his tenure as director, he issued a 12-point plan to protect the parks and their resources, better serve the public, and improve the service's management.

Dickenson served as the eleventh NPS director from May 15, 1980, to March 3, 1985. During his tenure, he obtained its support and that of Congress for the Park Restoration and Improvement Program, which devoted more than a billion dollars over five years to park resources and facilities.

Whalen served as the tenth NPS director from July 5, 1977, to May 13, 1980. During his tenure, the proclamation of much Alaska wilderness as national monuments in 1978, doubled the acreage under NPS jurisdiction.