National Parks Service names full time superintendent for De Soto National Memorial

De Soto National Memorial has a new superintendent, sort of.

On Thursday, National Parks Service Southeast Regional Director Stan Austin announced Nathan Souder will permanently take the helm of the park. Souder has been acting superintendent since March and will officially take the position full time on May 28.

“Nathan’s deep commitment to public service and civic engagement makes him a great fit for the job,” Austin said in a statement released Thursday. “He brings with him broad experience and sound management skills. Nathan has dynamic employees he will lead in advancing the mission of De Soto National Memorial.”

Souder began his career as a seasonal ranger in the back country of Rocky Mountain National park in Colorado in 2001. He has been involved with the agency’s efforts to increase responsibility in legislative and congressional affairs, public affairs, budget, construction project management and volunteer and youth programs.

“I am truly honored to be trusted with the responsibility of caring for this amazing memorial,” Souder said. “The park’s staff, volunteers and partners form an outstanding team that I am excited to continue working with. Together we will continue to engage with the local community and introduce new audiences to this hidden treasure.”

Souder holds a bachelor of science degree in public management from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He and his wife Sarah have two children, Elias, 6, and Ethan, 4, who are already fond of Bradenton’s people, beaches and clear water.

De Soto National Memorial commemorates the landing of Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in Florida in 1539 and the first extensive organized exploration by Europeans of what is now the southern United States. The memorial, established in 1948, received nearly 233,000 visitors in 2016 who spent an estimated $13.6 million in local gateway regions while visiting the memorial. These expenditures supported 210 jobs and $19.1 million in total economic output in local economies surrounding the park.

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 5:05 PM with the headline "National Parks Service names full time superintendent for De Soto National Memorial."