Former GTNP Info Chief Honored

The National Parks Conservation Association has awarded former Colorado National Monument Superintendent Joan Anzelmo the Stephen T. Mather Award for her commitment to preserving the integrity and open access of the park for all visitors. Anzelmo served as the superintendent at Colorado National Monument from May 2007 until her retirement from the National Park Service in July of this year. Previously, she served as chief of public affairs for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and as chief of public affairs for the entire NPS.  Following the leadership she showed during the 1988 Yellowstone National Park fires, Anzelmo became a nationally acknowledged expert in crisis communications and subsequently was dispatched to some of the country’s most complex wild land fire situations and other national emergencies. In May, 2010, she was assigned to the Unified Area Command for the National Park Service in response to the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. NPCA Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Craig Obey presented the prestigious award today at the annual Association of National Park Rangers Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia.