Submitted by the National Parks Service

Stan Austin assumed his position as regional director of the National Park Service’s Pacific West Region in May 2018. In his capacity as regional director, Austin provides leadership for the more than 60 national park sites within the states of California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, portions of Arizona and Montana and the territories of Guam, American Samoa, as well as the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands.

The Pacific West Region’s parks host 65 million visitors a year and contribute $5 billion to local economies. He is responsible for leading more than 3,500 employees, and managing a budget of more than $300 million annually.

Previously, Austin served as the NPS Southeast Regional Director. During his five years in the role, he guided the region through many complex and sensitive issues, including restoration of the Everglades, multiple hurricanes and fires, and operational and workplace reform. He supported the expansion and name change of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and oversaw the introduction of four new parks into the National Park System.

Austin began his career with the National Park Service at Gateway National Recreation Area as an interpretive park ranger, resource management specialist, and law enforcement ranger. He later served as deputy superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, superintendent of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah and Arizona, acting deputy superintendent at Yosemite National Park in California, and superintendent at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.

As a Mike Mansfield Fellow, Austin spent two years in Tokyo, Japan working with the Government of Japan’s Ministries of Construction and Environment. He also served on the Hurricane Mitch federal response team in Nicaragua providing hurricane relief assistance.

A New Jersey native, Austin earned a bachelor of science in environmental sciences from Rutgers University.