Frank Dean, who has led the Yosemite Conservancy since 2015, will step down this coming summer/Yosemite Conservancy

Frank Dean, who has led the Yosemite Conservancy as its president and CEO since 2015, will be stepping down from the organization this summer.

“The beauty of Yosemite National Park inspires us all. It has been a joy to help preserve this special place and to ensure it is more relevant for the next generation of park stewards,” Dean said in announcing his impending retirement. “The work of Yosemite Conservancy spans all aspects of the park, from the restoration of the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias to opening the new Yosemite Valley Welcome Center, increasing the diversity of our naturalist, and growing our volunteer programs.” 

Yosemite Conservancy’s Board of Trustees has appointed a diverse committee of Conservancy board, council, and staff members to lead the organization in recruiting Dean’s successor. There will be a national search to identify a highly qualified executive to guide the organization into its next century of service to Yosemite. 

Steve Ciesinski, chair of the Conservancy’s Board of Trustees, calls Dean “a trailblazer in national parks conservation and a true visionary.” 

Prior to becoming President and CEO of Yosemite Conservancy, Dean served nearly four decades with the National Park Service — starting as a park ranger — in several management and executive positions across the nation, most recently as the superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. He also currently serves on several nonprofit and university boards that support national parks, including as board chair of the National Park Service Friends Alliance, and as a board member of the University of California–Merced Foundation, the regional council of the National Parks Conservation Association, and the Sonoma Land Trust. 

“His innovative leadership over the past decade generated more than $200 million in Conservancy grants and matching funds for project support to Yosemite National Park and assisted the park with 21st century challenges, such as increased visitor use and the preservation of park resources,” Ciesinski said. “Frank is widely admired for his creativity and dedication to sustainability and enhancement programs.”

Yosemite National Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon credits Dean with strengthening the relationship between the two park partners.

“Thanks to Frank’s deep commitment to Yosemite and inclusive leadership, the partnership between Yosemite Conservancy and the National Park Service has never been stronger,” Muldoon said. “Frank is an inspiring leader and a great friend. I am so grateful to have served with him and am confident his legacy will continue in Yosemite National Park through the power of our partnership with Yosemite Conservancy.”  

During Dean’s tenure, the Conservancy helped fund hundreds of projects in the park for trail and habitat restoration, wildlife management, scientific research, visitor education, and more. 

“I am so appreciative of our Conservancy’s board of trustees, council, donors, staff, partners, and volunteers who enable our ideas to come to fruition,” Dean said. 

The Conservancy’s donor-funded work is visible throughout the park, including at renovated overlooks, such as Tunnel View and Glacier Point; at Tenaya Lake; and at Lower Yosemite Fall. In 2023 alone, the Conservancy funded more than 50 grants to help repair trails, restore wetlands and wilderness, study and protect wildlife, make Yosemite’s outreach more inclusive, inspire the next generation of park champions, and more. Additionally, major, multiyear Conservancy-supported projects opened this past fall, including a new Welcome Center in Yosemite Village and restoration work at famous Bridalveil Fall. 

Major focuses for 2024 and beyond include research and projects to protect giant sequoias, restore Ackerson Meadow, and improve safety on the Mist Trail, one of the most popular national park trails.