New Olympic National Park superintendent named — official National Park Service statement

Published 11:15 am Monday, April 21, 2008

News release from National Park Service this morning. A full report will appear in Tuesday’s editions of the Peninsula Daily News:

Karen Gustin is the newly appointed superintendent of Olympic

National Park, said National Park Service (NPS) Regional Director Jonathan

B. Jarvis today. Gustin replaces Bill Laitner, who retired earlier this year.

Gustin is transferring from her post as superintendent of Big Cypress

National Preserve in Ochopee, Florida. She is expected to arrive at park

headquarters in Port Angeles in early to mid-July with her family.

“Karen Gustin has shown the ability to collaborate with park users

and community groups on controversial issues like off-road vehicle use.”

said Jarvis. “I am impressed with her ability to work with partners to

accomplish park goals.”

As superintendent of Big Cypress National Preserve, Gustin managed

maintenance, interpretation, administration, resource management, and

ranger operations. She worked closely with community groups on issues

ranging from off-road vehicle use to panther management. She oversaw the

largest prescribed fire program in the national park system. She also led

construction planning for a new Welcome Center and coordinated a complex

lands management program including more than 160 private inholdings.

Gustin has served in leadership roles in national park units from

Guam to Alaska. She was superintendent of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

from 2001-2004 and spent three years as superintendent at War in the

Pacific National Historical Park on Guam and American Memorial Park on

Saipan. She was responsible for day-to-day operations of the field office

for Katmai National Park and Preserve, Aniakchak National Monument, and

Alagnak Wild River from 1997-1998. In 1994, she began her first

superintendency at Effigy Mounds National Monument.

“I am excited to join the staff at Olympic and get to know the

fantastic resources of the park,” said Gustin. “I am eager to meet partners

and sister organizations that we collaborate with as well.”

Karen Gustin is a graduate of Colorado State University with a B.S.

in Outdoor Recreation. Karen and her husband, Grant, have two children,

Keely and Ross. She and her daughter own horses and are avid equestrians.