Long-time NPS veteran Tim Hudson has been chosen to get Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument off the drawing board and into operation/NPS

A National Park Service employee with nearly five decades of experience in guiding projects for the agency has been chosen to guide the launch of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine.

Tim Hudson, whose work with the Park Service has taken him from Denver to Yellowstone National Park and the agency's Alaska region before sending him east to oversee the Park Service's Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, has been tasked with moving the national monument off the drawing board and into an active unit of the National Park System.

“Tim is an innovative leader who has dedicated his career to building partnerships and advancing creative approaches to park management,” said NPS Northeast Regional Director Mike Caldwell. “We are excited about having Tim work with the local community and partners as we assume responsibility for this remarkable gift.”

Hudson said, “Katahdin Woods and Water National Monument is a place of cultural and historic importance as well as scenic beauty. It offers incredible opportunities to continue outdoor recreational traditions like hiking, boating, snowshoeing and backcountry skiing, fishing and hunting, and snowmobiling. The legacy of recreation and timber is an essential part of the Katahdin region. I look forward to working with the local communities, state and national partners to tell this significant story and collectively build the vision and future for this special place.”

As lead for the Hurricane Sandy recovery program, Hudson oversaw a $300 million program that included more than 120 projects and represented the largest restoration program ever undertaken by the Park Service.

Prior to joining the Northeast Region, Hudson worked in the Alaska Region where he served as the associate regional director (ARD) for operations starting in 2006. His appointment to ARD was a testament to his outstanding leadership in the previous four years, during which he served as the Alaska Regional chief of maintenance.

Hudson started his NPS career as a seasonal employee in 1967 and began working full-time as a civil engineer in 1971 for the NPS Western Office of Design and Construction (later consolidated into the Denver Service Center). He managed a number of projects throughout the West until he transferred to Yellowstone National Park. He dedicated 20 years of service as the chief of maintenance at Yellowstone where he managed one of the largest operations in the NPS. This included managing significant road construction projects, snowmobile enhancements and winter recreational access, extensive facilities projects, and partnerships with concessioners, cooperators and local communities.

Hudson is the recipient of both the Department of the Interior's Meritorious and Distinguished Service Awards. He is known for his mix of professionalism and humor--as well as being a pioneer in the professionalization of the field of facilities operations and project management.

In the first several months of the planning for the new national monument, Hudson will be joined by Christina Marts, who will serve as a community planner. She most recently served as deputy superintendent of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. For the last 15 years, Marts has held positions as outdoor recreation planner, resource manager and assistant superintendent of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP and a member of the NPS Stewardship Institute, both of which are based in Woodstock, Vermont. Marts led the park’s forest management planning effort and developed partnerships programs for community engagement, collaborative trail system management, place-based education, and youth employment.

Hudson has lived in Bangor, Maine for the last three years with his wife Mary and enjoys hiking, biking, golf and traveling.