Information provided by the National Park Service Pacific West Region.
The National Park Service (NPS) has selected Blanca Alvarez Stransky to serve as the new superintendent of Pinnacles National Park in June. She replaces Karen Beppler-Dorn, who transferred to Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in September.
“Blanca is passionate about America’s national parks and the recreational opportunities they provide for all Americans,” said Stan Austin, regional director for the NPS Pacific West Region.
In a recent release, Austin said that Stransky’s leadership in working with gateway communities, along with extensive field experience in a variety of parks, makes her a perfect match for the position.
Stransky has 34 years of experience with the National Park Service. She currently serves as the deputy superintendent of George Washington Memorial Parkway. A key milestone for her tenure at the parkway is the ongoing rehabilitation project at Arlington House, which will include new interpretive exhibits to tell the story of all the inhabitants at the site, including those enslaved who built the home and worked on the plantation.
“Being selected as the next superintendent of Pinnacles National Park is one of the great honors in my career with the National Park Service because it feels like I’m coming home,” said Stransky.
Stransky began her career after college as a seasonal park ranger at Grand Canyon National Park and has worked in various park service roles throughout the country, including chief of interpretation at Denali National Park and Preserve, superintendent at Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, and superintendent of Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. She has also worked at Zion National Park, the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, Women’s Rights National Historical Park, and Chamizal National Memorial.
Stransky said she looks forward to working with the reintroduction of the California condor, connecting people to outdoor recreational opportunities, and enhancing the visitor experience.
For more information about Pinnacles National Park, visit www.nps.gov/pinn.
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