Raymond David Vela

David Vela retired from the National Park Service in September 2020 after 30 years with the agency, most recently serving as Deputy Director, Exercising the Authority of the Director. During his tenure, Mr. Vela championed “NPS NEXT, A Second Century of Service,” an initiative designed to modernize the agency’s business practices, and engage a new, diverse generation of resource conservation stewards to the NPS mission. Mr. Vela’s previous assignments include Superintendent of Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, Regional Director of the NPS Southeast Region, Superintendent of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Superintendent of Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, and Superintendent of Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site. In addition, he served as Director of the Texas Child Support program under the Attorney General of Texas. Mr. Vela is an alumnus of Texas A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in recreation and parks.