Mike Reynolds has been picked to serve as deputy National Park Service director for Congressional and external relations/NPS

Mike Reynolds, a third-generation National Park Service employee, is leaving his role as regional director of the agency's intermountain office for Washington, D.C., to serve as deputy director for Congressional and external relations.

In that role, Reynolds will advise Park Service Director Chuck Sams and lead the agency's work with external and international partners, as well as our stakeholder engagement with elected officials, special interest groups, and the American public.  

“Mike Reynolds is one of NPS’ strongest assets,” Sams said in announcing the move Monday. “He speaks truth and is a trusted leader who has served at literally every level of the National Park Service, from front-line park ranger to leading the agency as acting Director.”  

Reynolds said he was honored the director has trusted him "with this new assignment, and I look forward to working with the team to share our important work with the American people and key stakeholder groups. I’m also really proud of how the intermountain region, these parks and all of NPS have responded to the unprecedented challenges of the past few years. I draw so much inspiration and energy from our amazing workforce, and I look forward to making new connections in this new role.”  

Reynolds grew up in Yosemite National Park and returned there in 2003 as a resource manager, planner, division chief, and eventually serving as park superintendent from 2018 to 2019. Before that, he served in several leadership roles at NPS headquarters, first as the associate director for workforce, relevancy, and inclusion, deputy director for operations, and finally as the acting NPS director in 2017 and 2018. During his previous tenure in Washington, Reynolds initiated long-term efforts ranging from addressing issues from workforce engagement and wellbeing to the Park Service's maintenance backlog.  

He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an MBA from Regis University in Denver. He was a senior executive fellow at Harvard University in the spring of 2011.  

Deputy Regional Director Kate Hammond will serve as the acting intermountain regional director upon Reynolds’ departure. Hammond has been one of two deputy regional directors in Denver since 2016 and has served as acting regional director previously.