News Release
Date: April 11, 2016
Contact: John Quinley, 907-644-3512
Ben Bobowski, the acting superintendent for Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, has been selected as the new superintendent at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
Bobowski has been the chief of resource stewardship at Rocky Mountain since October 2007. He was previously the chief of resource management at Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site (2002-2007), and a range ecologist at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (1998-2002). He began his NPS career in 1998 as a student employee and completed graduate work at Utah State University during his tenure.
At Wrangell-St. Elias, Bobowski, 48, will manage America's largest national park area, 13.2 million acres. The park, which stretches east of the Copper River to the Canadian border, sees about 75,000 visitors a year.
"It is a real privilege to serve as superintendent of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. I am very much looking forward to meeting and working with park staff and community members," Bobowski said. "My family and I have visited Alaska for many years and we're excited to heading north soon!"
Over his NPS career, Bobowski has served in several collateral duties for Washington D.C. Support Office including five years as the NPS's Grazing Coordinator, a co-author of the NPS Climate Change Response Strategy and currently as a NPS team member rejuvenating UNESCO's Biosphere Reserve Program in coordination with the U.S. State Department. He also has served details as the deputy director of science at Grand Canyon National Park and as acting superintendent at Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS and has been affiliate faculty at several universities.
Bobowski earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Rutgers University focused on forestry and wildlife management, and Masters of Science and PhD degrees from Utah State University, focused in range science.
"Ben's long experience in the NPS and other bureaus uniquely positioned him for the challenges that face Wrangell-St. Elias. We look forward to his strong approach to ethical, thoughtful and productive park leadership," said NPS-Alaska Regional Director Bert Frost. Bobowski will move to Alaska from Estes Park, Colorado, in July with his wife, Katie, and three children Taylor, Ashley and Mia.
Last updated: May 8, 2017