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Contact: John Warren, 215-908-3159
Lauren Gurniewicz has been selected as chief of interpretation and education for Philadelphia’s National Park Service (NPS) sites. These include: Independence National Historical Park, Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, Gloria Dei Church National Historic Site and Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial. She will begin her new appointment August 13.
“Lauren’s experience as a proven, inclusive, innovative leader,” said Acting Superintendent Amnesty Kochanowski, “will help lead Independence National Historical Park through this year’s 75th anniversary of the park and upcoming semiquincentennial commemorations through 2026. Lauren holds vast interpretation knowledge, a strong academic background, and an unceasing desire for continual improvement. She considers employee well-being a core value and acts accordingly.”
“I am thrilled to help create an inclusive, welcoming environment for our employees and visitors,” said Gurniewicz. “Together, we can create a modern, relevant menu of experiences for visitors, so that they can see themselves in the many stories we can tell about the founding of our nation. We need to take good care of this park, of each other and of our visitors.”
Since November 2022, Gurniewicz has served as the parks’ deputy chief of interpretation and education. A native of northwest Indiana, Gurniewicz began her NPS career as a Student Conservation Association intern at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in 2000. That experience led to seasonal positions at Indiana Dunes National Park, Harry S Truman National Historic Site and Cape Hatteras National Seashore and permanent positions at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Ford’s Theatre/National Mall and Memorial Parks and Chickasaw National Recreation Area.
She served as chief of interpretation at Congaree National Park and at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, where she led the modernization of the interpretation division for five years. She most recently served at Colonial National Historical Park, where she was chief of Visitor Experience and Community Engagement for two years.
Gurniewicz is passionate about partnerships, recruitment and hiring, employee development and reaching new audiences through social media, recreational opportunities and art experiences in parks.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s in Organizational Change and Leadership from Columbia College in South Carolina.
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www.nps.gov/inde
Celebrating 75 years: Our history is America's history. A unit of the National Park Service, Independence National Historical Park was created 75 years ago by an Act of Congress on June 28, 1948. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, Independence NHP covers almost 54 acres in Philadelphia’s Old City, and includes Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, Franklin Court, and other historic buildings associated with the founding of the United States. Events, programs and special exhibits which celebrate our 75th Anniversary will be held throughout the year. For more information on our 75th Anniversary events, visit the park’s website, http://www.nps.gov/inde or follow us on social media by searching @IndependenceNHP.
Last updated: October 8, 2023