Jeff Bradybaugh Returns to Zion National Park as Site Manager

Date: September 24, 2014
Contact: Aly Baltrus, 435-772-0160

Jeff Bradybaugh, a 32-year veteran of the National Park Service (NPS), has been named superintendent of Zion National Park in Utah, according to Intermountain Regional Director Sue Masica. This marks the return to Zion National Park for Bradybaugh, having previously served there as the chief of resource management and research. Bradybaugh will begin his new assignment on October 20, 2014.

Since October 2010, Bradybaugh has served as the superintendent of Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, where in addition to overseeing daily park operations, he has been deeply engaged in transportation-related planning and partnership projects with nearby state, local, tribal and federal agencies.

“Jeff is an effective communicator and manager with a proven ability as a consensus builder with external organizations and groups,” said Masica. “He has long demonstrated a deep commitment toward the preservation and protection of our nation’s natural and cultural resources.”

Bradybaugh’s other leadership positions with the NPS include superintendent of Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument in Arizona, acting superintendent at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California; chief of resource management and research at Zion National Park; chief of science and resources management at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, and natural resources specialist at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Before joining the NPS, Bradybaugh worked as a forestry technician for the U.S. Forest Service in Wyoming and a wildlife biology intern for BLM in New Mexico.

“It is an honor to join the staff of Zion National Park, the Zion Natural History Association, our sister parks – Pipe Spring and Cedar Breaks National Monuments, and our concession and transit partners as we approach the National Park Service Centennial in 2016 and plan our second century of service to the American public,” Bradybaugh said. “I look forward to continuing the park’s close working relationship with local communities and businesses. Zion National Park is one of the nation's most magnificent natural landscapes, with a compelling cultural history, both of which I am excited to help present to our visitors from around the world.”

Bradybaugh earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries management from South Dakota State University, and a master’s degree in wildlife biology from New Mexico State University. He enjoys kayaking, bicycling, and hiking/backpacking.

As superintendent of Zion National Park, Bradybaugh will oversee the management of more than 148,700 acres, a workforce of approximately 95 personnel and an annual operating budget of more than $7.24 million.