News Release

Yosemite National Park Announces Additions to the Yosemite Leadership Team

Date: March 26, 2019

Three new senior park managers selected

Yosemite National Park is pleased to announce that three new park managers have been selected, bringing a wealth of diverse background knowledge and experience to Yosemite. The park welcomes Dr. Nicole Athearn as the new Chief for the Division of Resource Management and Science, Brendan Hickey as the new Administrative Officer, and David Miyako as the new Chief for the Division of Business and Revenue Management. All three of these new leaders will serve on the Yosemite Leadership Team (YLT).  

Coming from a multi-disciplinary background, Dr. Nicole Athearn brings a wide-range of knowledge to Yosemite. She has served in the National Park Service for the past two years, most recently as a Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Research Coordinator and Science Advisor for the Midwest Region, based at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Dr. Athearn earned her PhD in Ecology from UC Davis, her MS and MBA from Oklahoma State, and her Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from UC Davis.

Prior to joining the NPS, Dr. Athearn has worked for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

Brendan Hickey has been selected as the park's new Administrative Officer. He began his NPS career in 2013, serving as a Management Analyst with the Business Management Group in the Washington Support Office (WASO). Most recently, he served as the Chief of Administration for the Southeast Utah Group of Parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Hovenweep, and Natural Bridges). He recently completed a temporary assignment as the Acting Administrative Officer for Yosemite National Park. Brendan found his National Park Service calling during a summer as a Business Plan Intern at North Cascades National Park.

Brendan grew up in the front range of Colorado. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

David Miyako has been working for Yosemite National Park for the past 10 years. He began his NPS career in 2009, working for the Visitor and Resource Protection Division of the park as a Management Analyst. In 2014, David transitioned to the Business and Revenue Management (BRM) Division as a Concessions Specialist. He remained in the BRM Division, receiving a promotion to Branch Chief of Concessions Management, with direct oversight over all concession contracts in the park, including the largest single contract in the National Park Service. 

David has served on several temporary assignments, including roles as a Management Analyst for Yosemite's Facility Mangement Division, Hetch Hetchy Program Liaison, and Administrative Officer. He has also served as a consultant to the NPS Law Enforcement Training Center, and served in a detail as the Chief of the Business Management Division at Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Prior to joining the National Park Service, David was a financial analyst for Abbott Laboratories, Inc. and Hewlett-Packard, Inc. He received his Master of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at The University of North Carolina, and his Bachelor of Science in finance from San Jose State University.

“We are pleased to welcome Nicole, Brendan, and David to the Yosemite Leadership Team,” stated Yosemite Superintendent Michael Reynolds. “These three veteran park professionals bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the park and will be an integral part of leading Yosemite National Park into the future.”