May 13, 2010
10-26Acting Intermountain Region Director Mary Gibson Scott announced today that John Wessels, associate regional director for Business and Technology at the National Park Service Intermountain Region, will serve as interim superintendent at Grand Teton National Park for the next two months. Wessels will begin his temporary assignment on May 17 and lead the park through mid July when Gibson Scott returns from her temporary post at the regional office in Denver, Colorado. Deputy Superintendent Bob Vogel, serving as Grand Teton’s superintendent for the past two months, will resume his previous duties when Wessels arrives.
Wessels brings a wealth of experience and background to his interim assignment at Grand Teton. He recently completed a detail as acting deputy superintendent for Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California, and previously served as the acting assistant director for Business Services at the National Park Service headquarters in Washington, D.C. Wessels’ current responsibilities at the regional office encompass financial, acquisition, information systems and concessions business management supporting 92 national park units spread across eight states from Montana to Texas.
“John will provide great leadership and guidance for Grand Teton as the park launches into its busy summer season,” said Acting Regional Director Mary Gibson Scott. “He brings a distinctive skill set that will serve the park well until my return in mid July, and I am confident that the local community and our many partner organizations will welcome John’s fresh perspective and park operations expertise.”
Wessels began his federal career 25 years ago as a presidential management fellow, working for the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C. He moved to the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado where he worked as administrative officer and supervisory computer scientist for ten years prior to joining the National Park Service 2001 as regional comptroller.
Wessels’ academic background includes master’s degrees in Public Finance and Computer Science from Carnegie-Mellon University and Regis University, respectively. He also currently serves as adjunct professor of Business and Information Systems for Regis University in Denver. Wessels lives in Denver with his wife Mary and their children, Grace and Jack.
