News Release
News Release Date: December 5, 2023
Contact: PWR_Public_Affairs@nps.gov
SAN FRANCISCO - The National Park Service (NPS) has selected Erin Gates to serve as the superintendent of César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, California starting Jan. 14, 2024.
Gates most recently served as interpretation and education program manager for California State Parks’ North Coast Redwoods District. Prior to that, she was the deputy superintendent for Redwood National and State Parks.
“Erin has proven her ability to strengthen partnerships from her experience as deputy superintendent for Redwood National and State Parks, a model based on two organizations dependent on each other to carry out one common mission,” said acting Pacific West Regional Director Randy Lavasseur. “In addition, her passion shines through for the history that is preserved at César E. Chávez National Monument, and I’m impressed by her vision for reaching new audiences to connect with that history.”
Gates will lead the monument, established in 2012, into its second decade. The site preserves and commemorates the life and work of César Chávez, and also interprets the struggles and achievements of the broader farm worker movement throughout the United States. César Chávez is one of the most revered civil rights leaders in the country who dedicated his life to the struggle for respect and dignity for farm workers throughout America.
“I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve as the superintendent of César E. Chávez National Monument,” she said. “My desire is to elevate and empower the stories and partnerships of this cherished park with our partners, the National Chavez Center. I am excited to be part of the team helping to pass on the “Si, se puede” legacy of hope and perseverance which is as important today as it was 50 years ago.”
Gates, a Los Angeles native, says she is keenly aware of the obstacles that many people face when accessing parks. She has spent her entire career identifying and working to overcome barriers to access, so parks can be the welcoming spaces that they should be to all people. She continues to foster and build opportunities for connection in her volunteer work and is currently serving a second term as a board member for the National Association for Interpretation.
Gates comes to the NPS after serving in several leadership roles with California State Parks. She brings innovation and energy to managing campgrounds, providing public education programming, connecting visitors and students to parks via digital education tools, and leading statewide efforts to establish relationships with multiple County Offices of Education with the goal of increasing K-12 access to their parks throughout California.
In her most recent role at Redwood National and State Parks, she brought about key park initiatives and partnerships that deepened relationships with Tribal partners, connected new communities to parks, and built a culture of understanding and action around principles of justice, equity, diversity, accessibility and inclusion.
Gates graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in natural resources planning and interpretation from California State Polytechnic University in Humboldt.
She plans to relocate to Southern California and be closer to her three siblings, their families and her mother, father and stepmother and looks forward to hiking the familiar trails of her youth. Her hobbies include traveling and exploring new parks. She already has several adventurous trips on her radar to the Eastern Sierra Mountains and the Southwest.
To learn more about César E. Chávez National Monument, please go to nps.gov/cech.
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 at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Last updated: December 13, 2023