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Contact: Andrea Walton, South Atlantic-Gulf Region
Contact: Laura Henning, Canaveral National Seashore
ATLANTA — The National Park Service (NPS) announced today the selection of Carmen Thomson as the new superintendent of Canaveral National Seashore located on the east coast of Florida between Titusville and New Smyrna Beach. Thomson begins her new assignment on Sept. 10.
“Carmen is an experienced leader, a strong project manager and an excellent team builder,” said South Atlantic-Gulf Regional Director Mark Foust. “Her exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, as well her ability to work with others in addressing complex challenges position her to be a strong leader for Canaveral National Seashore.”
“I am truly honored to be selected as the next superintendent of Canaveral National Seashore,” said Thomson. “I look forward to caring for the vast array of cultural and natural resources at Canaveral, supporting staff and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders, partners and the local community. I am thrilled to return to the place that captured my heart several years ago."
Thomson is a 22-year NPS veteran and began her career in 2001 as a natural resource management specialist at Niobrara National Scenic River in Valentine, Nebraska. Since 2005, she served as inventory and monitoring (I&M) program manager for the NPS Midwest Region, holding financial, supervisory and operational responsibility for three I&M networks across 13 states with a combined budget of approximately $3.3 million and 33 staff members. While in this role, Thomson also served as both Midwest Region chair and co-chair of the NPS Invasive Plant Management Team Advisory Group, as well as the NPS representative to the Nebraska Invasive Species Council from 2012-2022, appointed by former governor Dave Heineman.
During her NPS career, Thomson has also completed several detail assignments in a variety of leadership roles. These include superintendent of Tallgrass Prairie and Preserve in Strong City, Kansas and Canaveral National Seashore; associate regional director for natural resources and stewardship for the Midwest Region; and, most recently, as deputy program leader for the NPS Natural Resource Science and Stewardship Directorate’s I&M program.
Originally from Nebraska, Thomson holds a bachelor’s degree in natural resources from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries management from South Dakota State University. She has two children, Ty, who recently graduated from high school and will be attending college this fall on a baseball scholarship, and Ashten, a high school junior and cross-country and soccer athlete. In her spare time, Thomson enjoys watching her children’s sports, attending music festivals and college football games, and hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park on her annual fall trip with her partner, Mark. She looks forward to relocating to Florida in September.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 425 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Last updated: September 17, 2023