The National Park Service Tuesday selected Chris Rodriguez as superintendent of Cabrillo National Monument.
He will begin his new role April 21.
Cabrillo National Monument is at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula in San Diego. It commemorates the landing of Juan RodrÃguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. This event marked the first time a European expedition had set foot on what later became the West Coast of the United States.
Rodriguez has been in various park leadership roles for 16 years and currently serves as the chief of facilities and administration for four NPS sites in the Oakland area: Eugene O’Neil National Historic Site, John Muir National Historic Site, Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial, and Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park.
“[Rodriguez] is known for his authentic leadership skills and the supportive relationships and teams he builds wherever he goes,” said NPS’ Pacific West Regional Director David Szymanski. “He’s great at working across the entire organization to find out what’s needed, then bringing everyone together to make it happen.
“He’s also a leader in making park sites and programming as accessible and available as possible to the public — especially underrepresented and underserved segments of the community,” Szymanski said.
Rodriguez began his NPS career as a trail worker at Pinnacles National Park near California’s Central Valley in 1998. In 2001, he began leading and supervising trail crews and youth programs at Joshua Tree National Park, where he “developed a strong connection to youth in the local community through a nationally recognized Youth Conservation Corps program,” a statement from the park service reads.
“I am humbled and incredibly honored to serve as the superintendent at Cabrillo National Monument,” Rodriguez said. “I look forward to working with the staff and the park’s partners to build on past work and create a collaborative vision for the future.
“I am eager to engage with the expansive cultural and natural resources and explore outreach opportunities that capitalize on the park’s proximity to a diversely populated area,” he said.
Rodriguez, his wife Sara — an NPS human resource specialist — their dog Luna, and cats Marv and Mia, will move to San Diego. Their daughter, Grace, attends UC San Diego, and will graduate this summer.
–City News Service