New Chief Ranger at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Chief Ranger Ned Kelleher, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

NPS Photo--D. Dierkes

News Release Date: April 2, 2015

Contact: Dana Dierkes, 559-565-3131

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, CA –Edward (Ned) Kelleher has been hired as the new chief ranger at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. As chief ranger, Ned will be responsible for overseeing 180 staff performing wilderness management, wildland and structural fire, law enforcement, emergency medical services, search and rescue, fee collection, and visitor management.

Ned began his carreer in the National Park Service in 1991 after graduating from Humboldt State University in 1989. During the past six years, Ned Kelleher managed law enforcement, emergency services, and wilderness operations as district ranger in Kings Canyon National Park. He worked at Kings Canyon National Park as a seasonal/temporary park ranger from 1991-1997 and as the Cedar Grove sub-district ranger from 2004-2008.

Thoughout his career, Ned has worked at other parks, including Curecanti National Recreation Area,
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Yosemite National Park, Chiricahua National Monument, Everglades National Park, and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

"Ned is a strong addition to the parks' management team. He brings a strong knowledge of and passion for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and the National Park Service, as well as a wealth of operational experience to the position of chief ranger."

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, which lie side-by-side in the southern Sierra Nevada in central California, serve as a prime example of nature's size, beauty, and diversity. Over 1.5 million visitors from across the U.S. and the world visit these parks for the world's largest trees (by volume), grand mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, the highest point in the lower 48 states, and more! Learn more at www.nps.gov/seki or 559-565-3341.