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Oyster Bay, New York –National Park Service (NPS) Northeast Regional Director Dennis Reidenbach announced that Thomas E. Ross has been selected as the superintendent of Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, the home of President Theodore Roosevelt. Ross will begin his assignment in January 2008. He follows Greg Marshall, who will return to his native New Jersey as superintendent of Edison National Historic Site in West Orange. “We’re pleased to have Tom Ross at Sagamore Hill. He has extensive experience in building constituencies and strengthening capacity for sites,” said Reidenbach. “He comes at the right time, too. The park has been charting its future and Tom is the right person to transform vision into action.” Ross most recently served as Deputy Director and Acting Executive Director of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor headquartered in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The corridor comprises nearly 400,000 acres within central Massachusetts and northern Rhode Island. The NPS does not own the land within the corridor, rather, it works with a federal commission as well as state and local governments, businesses, nonprofit historical and environmental organizations, educational institutions, and private citizens to preserve and interpret the Blackstone Valley. While at Blackstone, he also managed Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence, RI which celebrates Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, and a champion of the ideal of religious freedom. "Sagamore Hill National Historic Site is a powerful place and celebrates one of the nation's most fascinating presidents. It is an honor to be selected to serve there," said Ross. "I look forward to working with the staff, park partners, and the community to ensure that we connect with the public and tell the important stories of President Roosevelt and the time he spent there with his family." Ross began his career with the National Park Service in 2000 as the community planner for New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He later became the deputy superintendent there, responsible for planning, partnership development, and operations management. A native of Acushnet, Massachusetts, Ross received a Master of Regional Planning from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History, Cum Laude, with teacher certification from Bridgewater State College, and an Associate Degree in Applied Science and a Security Administration Degree from the Community College of the Air Force. Ross graduated from the rigorous USDA Executive Leadership Program in 2005. He will live on the Sagamore Hill property with his wife, Kerrie, and their two young sons. Beginning on October 29, 2007, Philip Selleck will serve as the acting superintendent at Sagamore Hill. Selleck is currently the Chief Ranger at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation area headquartered in Bushkill, Pennsylvania. He has previously served as acting superintendent of Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Springfield, Massachusetts, and has had assignments at Everglades National Park, Florida, Amistad National Recreation Area, Texas, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona, and Boston National Historical Park, Massachusetts. He also worked in the west for the US Border Patrol, the US Forest Service, and the US Bureau of Land Management. “Phil is a seasoned National Park Service veteran. For years, we have counted on his leadership as manager, an instructor, and as an incident commander for high-profile and complex law enforcement situations. He will do well as the interim superintendent at Sagamore Hill,” said Reidenbach. For more information about Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, go to www.nps.gov/sahi. Theodore Roosevelt bought land in Oyster Bay, New York in 1880, where he built his family home, Sagamore Hill, and lived until his death in 1919. Throughout his life, Roosevelt attracted national and international figures from every walk of life to this home and Sagamore Hill was the summer White House between 1902 and 1908. Sagamore Hill National Historic Site preserves and interprets the structures, landscape, collections, and other cultural resources associated with Theodore Roosevelt’s home in Oyster Bay, New York to ensure that future generations understand and appreciate the life and legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, his family, and the significant events associated with him at Sagamore Hill. ## NPS ## |
Last updated: February 26, 2015