On January 9th, Paul Daniel “Dan” Smith was appointed as deputy director of the National Park Service (NPS). Formerly the superintendent of Virginia’s Colonial National Historical Park from 2004 to 2015, Smith has also served as special assistant to former NPS Director Fran P. Mainella, as assistant director of legislative and congressional affairs at the National Park Service, and as deputy assistant secretary of the interior for fish and wildlife and parks. During his tenure as a special assistant in 2006, Smith brokered a controversial deal with National Football League owner Daniel Snyder to cut down trees on NPS land adjacent to Snyder’s property. Smith is an Army veteran and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in recreation and administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
