Superintendent Nancy Nelson says good bye to Minute Man National Historical Park on January 3, 2017.

Nancy Nelson

NPS/L.Sideris

News Release Date: December 9, 2016

Contact: Phil Lupsiewicz, 978-318-7833

Concord, MA.  –After 39 years of service, Superintendent Nancy Nelson will retire from Minute Man National Historical Park on January 3, 2017.

Nelson’s career began in 1978 at the North Atlantic Regional Office, Boston, MA (now the Northeast Regional Office) as an Environmental Protection Specialist.  From there, she served in a variety of regional office positions and worked throughout the region as a Park Planner, Landscape Architect and Special Assistant to three Regional Directors. She played an active part in planning for the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island restoration/rehabilitation projects and for two new national parks (Frederick Law Olmsted NHS, and Lowell NHP).  She also authored the Fire Island Wilderness Study which led to the creation of a wilderness area in the North Atlantic Region and served on the Steering Committee for the Vail Agenda - a major, national policy symposium marking the 75th Anniversary of the National Park Service.  

In 1993, she assumed her current position as Superintendent of Minute Man National Historical Park, in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington, Massachusetts.

A primary focus of her tenure has been the development of the 800 acre Battle Road Unit of the park:  design and completion of the award winning Battle Road Trail, rehabilitation of historic structures and historic agrarian landscapes, and construction of new and improved facilities to serve 1 million annual visitors.  Recently, under the leadership of the Friends of Minute Man National Park, the park has pursued the exploration, rehabilitation and interpretation of the site of “Parker’s Revenge” – location of a little known battle on April 19, 1775.   

Additional highlights include: revitalization of the park’s two main visitor centers; rehabilitation of The Wayside - Home of Authors in Concord; addition of the Colonel James Barrett House and farmland to the park and expansion of Patriot’s Weekend activities to include some of the most complex and engaging revolutionary war demonstrations occurring in the National Park Service. 

Superintendent Nelson is leaving her position, thankful for the diverse experiences that have marked her career with the National Park Service. Reflecting on her many years with NPS, she observed that,  “...the NPS mission, the amazing people in the NPS family, the steadfast community partners who support us in our work, the superlative and diverse resources we protect and the stories we tell have all combined to make my career virtually perfect”.   

Ms. Nelson holds a B.A. in Political Science from California State University at Long Beach;  a M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa and a Master's Degree of Landscape Architecture from Harvard's Graduate School of Design. 

In the past decade, the park has completed major new visitor facilities including the award winning Battle Road Interpretive Trail, rehabilitated many historic structures and landscapes and expanded public use and access to the park. In 2009, the park’s 50th anniversary year, the Colonel James Barrett House and farmland became part of MM National Park. Over 1,000,000 visitors from throughout the nation and around the world enjoy Minute Man NHP every year.  

BJ Dunn has been selected to replace Nelson as Minute Man National Historical Park superintendent. Dunn is currently deputy superintendent of Independence National Historical Park, Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site, Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Monument, and Gloria Dei (Old Swedes) Church National Historic Site in Philadelphia and has collaborative responsibility for the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. Dunn will begin his new assignment in January.

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