Glacier's New Chief Ranger Selected

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Date: January 6, 2006
Contact: Melissa Wilson, 406 888-7895

WEST GLACIER, MONT. – Glacier National Park Superintendent Mick Holm is pleased to announce the selection of Mark Foust as the new Chief Ranger for the park. Foust is coming to Glacier from Denver where he is the Branch Chief of Ranger Activities for the Intermountain Region of the National Park Service (NPS). He will report for duty at Glacier on February 13.

Foust is a third generation NPS employee. His father retired from the NPS as the Superintendent of Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area in northern California. His grandfather was an archeologist at Mesa Verde National Park.

Holm said of Foust, “Mark is a dedicated Park Service employee. We are fortunate to have him joining our team here at Glacier. He is well-liked and respected by his co-workers and possesses both the practical ranger background and the managerial experience necessary to be an effective Chief Ranger. I am confident he will be a valuable asset in protecting the resource we have in Glacier.”

While Foust graduated from the University of California, Davis in 1989 with a B.S. in Resource Science (a flexible major he was able to design around the resource protection mission of the NPS), he actually began his career as a firefighter for the California Department of Forestry in 1985. Foust then worked seasonally at Lava Beds National Monument, for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and at Joshua Tree National Monument until 1990. In 1990, he became a police officer for the United States Park Police in Washington, D.C. After a short stay in the district, Foust wanted to get back to rangering, so he transferred to Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in Texas, where he served in several area ranger positions before being promoted to North District Ranger. In 1996, Foust transferred to Padre Island National Seashore as the park’s criminal investigator and then into a two-year assignment as the Acting Chief Ranger.

In December 1998, Foust became the first Chief of Operations for the newly established Oklahoma City National Memorial where he later served as acting superintendent for five months. After getting the Memorial operational, Foust transferred to Chickasaw National Recreation Area as the Chief Ranger in 2000. In 2003, Foust became the Branch Chief of Ranger Activities for the Intermountain Region in Denver.

Foust and his wife, Lori, have three children, Allison (9), Quentin (7), and Kamryn (5). Lori Foust is a social worker who has been a stay-at-home mom since Allison was born. Foust likes to say that while he’s out doing ranger work, his wife is doing the really hard duty at home. The whole family is excited for the opportunity to live and play in the Flathead Valley.

Foust enjoys competing in triathlons, running, hiking, hunting, and biking (mountain and road). He is also enthusiastic to get back into alpine and backcountry skiing.

Foust commented, “I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to work with park visitors, employees, volunteers, and community members at keeping Glacier National Park as safe and protected a “crown jewel” as is possible.” He added, “I lived in Fort Smith, Montana while my father was the Chief Ranger of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. I’m looking forward to returning to the north and to the beautiful state of Montana.”



Last updated: February 24, 2015

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PO Box 128
West Glacier, MT 59936

Phone:

406-888-7800

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