The following from the Friends of
the Big Bend National Park (FBBNP):
William
(Bill) Wellman, a 36-year veteran of the National Park Service, has
been named Superintendent of Big Bend National Park and the Rio Grande
Wild and Scenic River. Wellman
assumed his new responsibilities on November 12, 2006. He replaces
former Superintendent, John H. King who retired in June.
Wellman, a native of North Carolina and graduate of North Caroline State University was most recently Superintendent of Black
Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area. He began his career in 1969 as a seasonal
ranger at Blue Ridge Parkway. Over
the past 36 years, Wellman has served as a park manager at a number of
park units throughout the country including Organ Pipe Cactus National
Monument in Arizona, Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site in
North Dakota, Timpanogos Cave National Monument in Utah, and Great Sand
Dunes National Monument in Colorado. Most
recently, Wellman served as acting deputy regional director for the
Intermountain Region and acting deputy superintendent at Grand Canyon National Park.
“I have been looking forward to this job
since I was four-years-old and my uncle told me stories about the Big
Bend of Texas. This
is the crowning achievement of my career and I am looking forward to
working with visitors, the staff at the park and everyone in the State
of Texas to protect this magnificent resource.”
In
his new role as superintendent of Big Bend National Park and the Rio
Grande Wild and Scenic River, Wellman will manage a combined total of
approximately 810,763 acres, an annual operating budget of more than
$5,680,000 and a staff of approximately 97.