Paul DePrey has been chosen as the next superintendent of the USS Arizona Memorial. He will be moving from Joshua Tree National Park in California, where he is chief of resources management, in October. Upon arrival at the USS Arizona Memorial, DePrey will immediately begin planning the December 7th commemoration and the groundbreaking for the new visitor center.

“I have great confidence in Paul,” said regional director Jon Jarvis in making the announcement. “He works closely with park staff, community groups and the military, making solid decisions based on a thorough understanding of the issues.”

DePrey will replace acting superintendent Frank Hays, who will resume his duties at the NPS central office in Honolulu as its Pacific Island area manager.

“I am proud to honor the lives and families of the sailors and marines who lost their lives on December 7, 1941,” DePrey said. “I look forward to working productively with our many partners, citizens, and park staff as the Pearl Harbor area begins the process of improving the experience of our visitors.”

As chief of resources management at Joshua Tree National Park, DePrey has worked to highlight the impacts that climate change may have on National Park Service sites and has developed a professionally staffed program that encourages innovation in resource management. DePrey has partnered with a number of Department of Defense agencies in the desert southwest on resource projects.

He has served as acting superintendent of Great Basin National Park in Nevada during a critical period in the public process for an intricate water resources plan for the region.

He also has worked as chief of natural resources and fire at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area in California. Prior to working in the NPS, he worked for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the US Department of Agriculture and the US Forest Service in Washington and Oregon.

DePrey has an MA in anthropology from Western Washington University and a BA in history and anthropology from the University of Maine, where he grew up. He will be relocating to Oahu with his wife, Cari Kreshak, a cultural resources specialist, and their two young sons.

The NPS manages the Halawa Landing and shore side visitor center, slated for reconstruction beginning this year, the USS Oklahoma Memorial on Ford Island and the USS Arizona Memorial.