Director of National Park Service, Jonathan Jarvis with Dr. Ruth Gotian

The Mentor Project

Jonathan (Jon) B. Jarvis went from seasonal employee to Director of the National Park Service (NPS). He was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate as the 18thDirector of the National Park Service (NPS), serving for the entire Obama administration.
During his tenure, he led the agency through its Centennial, adding 22 new parks including those that recognize the contributions of women and people of color, achieved its largest budget in history, addressed climate change and raised over $400 million in philanthropic support.
He served for 40 years with the National Park Service as ranger, biologist and superintendent in national parks across the country. Retiring from the NPS in 2017, he became the Inaugural Executive Director of the Institute for Parks, People and Biodiversity at the University of California, Berkeley and now serves as Chairman of the Board.
He serves as the Chairman of the Editorial Board for the Parks Stewardship Forum, an online publication for conservation practitioners and as a steering committee member of the California Biodiversity Network. His most recent book, co-authored with Clemson Professor Dr. Gary Machlis, is “The Future of Conservation in America: A Chart for Rough Water”, from the University of Chicago Press.
Jarvis is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including the National Recreation and Park Association’s Legend Award, Sierra Club’s Edgar Wayburn Award and Trailblazer Award, International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Fred Packard Award and the American Alpine Club’s David R. Brower Conservation Award.