New superintendent named for Mount Rainier National Park

Editor's note: the following is a press release issued Thursday morning by the National Park Service.

Randy King has been selected as the new superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park.  King has been serving as acting superintendent of the park since July 17.  He replaced Dave Uberuaga who was recently named superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

“Randy’s charisma, leadership and park experience make him a triple threat and the natural choice for this selection.  Having served as both the acting superintendent and deputy superintendent, Randy is extremely familiar with the park, its partners and staff and has demonstrated success in building partnerships and solving problems.  We look forward to his continued guidance,” said Pacific West Regional Director Chris Lehnertz.

Over the course of his 34-year National Park Service career, King has served in six national parks and the Intermountain Regional Office.  King also participated in a six-month work exchange between the Alaska Region and Western Australia’s Department of Conservation and Land Management.  He and his family lived in Denham, Western Australia, where he served as the district operations officer for Shark Bay World Heritage Area and adjacent national parks.  Since 2003 he has worked as Mount Rainier’s deputy superintendent, which included a 15-month detail as acting superintendent in 2009-2010.

King is a graduate of Michigan State University where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Park and Recreation Resources.  He and his wife, Sally, and their three children, Mackenzie, Dylan and Skylar, now make their home in Eatonville.

"From a resources standpoint – both natural and cultural – Mount Rainier is an incredible unit of our national park system.  It is a park beloved by generations of visitors, served by dedicated and talented employees, volunteers and concession operators; and strongly supported by its partners and gateway communities.  For all of these reasons, and many more, I am grateful for the privilege to serve this great park as superintendent,” said King upon hearing of his selection.

Mount Rainier National Park was designated as the nation’s fifth national park when President William McKinley signed a bill that was passed by Congress on March 2, 1899.  The boundaries of the park encompass 235,625 acres of forests, meadows and mountains, with 97 percent of the park designated as wilderness and the remaining three percent being part of the National Historic Landmark District.  Mount Rainier, the focal point of the park, is a large volcanic peak that rises to 14,410 feet, towering far above any other peak in the North Cascade mountain range.

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