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Contact: John Harlan Warren, 215-908-3159
National Park Service (NPS) Northeast Regional Director Gay Vietzke has named Cherie Shepherd as the superintendent of Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Shepherd will begin her new assignment in June. She replaces Deborah Conway, who is now deputy regional director for the NPS Northeast Region.“Cherie’s experience and skills are a great fit for the park,” said Vietzke. “Her background in facility management, construction, and engineering will help Steamtown remain a premiere destination dedicated to an important part of America’s industrial heritage. Additionally, Cherie has strong team building experience that will serve her well in her new role.”
“I fell in love with Steamtown the moment I stepped through the entrance,” said Shepherd. “Having the opportunity to visit many national parks during my career, my favorite places are the one-of-a-kind sites like Steamtown with its historic roundhouse, working railroad yard, world-class museum, and passenger excursion trains.”
Shepherd will work with park staff, volunteers, partners, and the community to enhance visitor accessibility and enjoyment of the site and to reduce the park’s maintenance backlog. The park recently restored a locomotive steam engine that powers 30-minute train rides of the rail yard, including the view of the Lackawanna River from Bridge 60. Improvements to the museum, locomotive shop, railroad tracks, vintage passenger cars, and additional steam locomotives are planned to help provide visitors with a fascinating and personal look at our country's vital connections to the railroad industry.
Since 2016, Shepherd has served as the regional chief of facility management for the National Park Service’s National Capital Region (NCR). In this role she oversees cyclic, repair/rehabilitation needs and provides project, facility, and maintenance support of parks in and around Washington, D.C. Before working at NCR, she was a project manager in the design and construction division of the Denver Service Center, where she worked with multiple parks within three different National Park Service regions, including the Northeast Region. Shepherd is a 2016 graduate of the Facility Manager Leadership Program. She also has experience in private sector construction and engineering.
Shepherd is originally from Colorado and has a Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering Technology from Metropolitan State University.
Last updated: May 2, 2019