David Vela

David Vela, a 29-year career veteran of the National Park Service (NPS), was named Deputy Director, exercising the authority of the Director of the National Park Service. He had been serving as Deputy Director of Operations since April. Vela previously served as superintendent of Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway from March 2014 to April 2019. Prior to assuming his Grand Teton post, Vela served as associate director for Workforce, Relevancy, and Inclusion in the NPS Washington headquarters where he administered a $32 million-dollar operational budget with 153 employees and served as a key advisor to the NPS Director and Deputy Director on the full spectrum of strategic Human Capital Management issues, initiatives, and policies. His national program areas included: Human Resources, Learning and Development, Equal Opportunity, Youth, and the Office of Relevancy, Diversity & Inclusion. Vela began his NPS career in 1981 as a cooperative education student at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in Texas and later became a permanent park ranger. From 1987 to 1998, Vela worked in a variety of federal posts outside the NPS. Vela is the recipient of numerous awards both within and outside of the National Park Service for leadership and performance excellence.