Bob Dodson Named Superintendent

Superintendent Bob Dodson

News Release Date: May 8, 2006

Contact: Bill Martin, [phone] x 41

(Sullivan’s Island,SC) The National Park Service today announced that Bob Dodson has been selected as the new superintendent of Fort Sumter National Monument and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site. According to Southeast Regional Director Pat Hooks, Dodson will assume his new responsibilities onMay 28, 2006.

“Bob brings a wealth of experience in park operations and management to his new assignment. He has been a successful park manager for the past 14 years and has a long track record of community involvement, establishing park partners and working with elected officials,” said Regional Director Hooks.

Dodson, a 33-year veteran of the National Park Service (NPS) began his career as a seasonal park technician at Ford’s Theater National Historic Site in Washington, DC. He has worked in a number of park units throughout the NPS including the National Mall in Washington, DC, Death Valley National Park in California, Old Post Office Tower in Washington, DC, Valley Forge National Historical Park in Pennsylvania, and Natchez National Historical Park in Mississippi. Most recently,he was the Deputy Superintendent at San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico. Dodson has a wealth of experience in all aspects of park operations including Facility Management, Interpretation, Visitor Services, Cultural and Natural Resources, and Visitor Protection. 

“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with the staff, concession operators, and partners of Fort Sumter National Monument and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site,” Dodson said. “My experience working at parks with complex cultural resources preservation programs has given me a special appreciation for the history they embody and the need to preserve these resources for future generations. Each of these important resources stand as reminders of pivotal decisions people made long ago that shaped the lives we live today.”

Dodson’s wife, Betsy, is an employee of the National Park Service with the Facility Management Division in Washington, DC. Their son, Aaron, is 14 years old.

In his new role as Superintendent of Fort Sumter National Monument and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, Dodson will oversee the management of 228 acres, a staff of approximately 32, and an annual operating budget of more than $2,366,000. America's most tragic conflict was ignited at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, when a chain reaction of social, economic and political events exploded into civil war. Charles Pinckney’s plantation “Snee Farm” is preserved as an educational tool to help interpret his role in the development of the United States Constitution and the transition of the United States from a group of colonies to a young nation.