New Superintendent selected at Pinnacles National Park

SAN FRANCISCO - The National Park Service announced on May 13 that they have selected Blanca Alvarez Stransky to serve as the superintendent of Pinnacles National Park in central California starting in June. She replaces Karen Beppler-Dorn, who transferred to Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in September.
“Blanca is passionate about America’s national parks and the recreational opportunities they provide for all Americans,” said Stan Austin, regional director for the National Park Service’s Pacific West Region. “Blanca's leadership in working with gateway communities along with her extensive field experience in a variety of parks make her a perfect match for this position.”
Stransky has 34 years of experience with the National Park Service. She currently serves as the deputy superintendent of George Washington Memorial Parkway. A key milestone for Stransky’s tenure at the parkway is the ongoing rehabilitation project at Arlington House, which will include new interpretive exhibits that will tell the story of all the inhabitants at the site, including those enslaved who built the home and worked on the plantation.
“Being selected as the next superintendent of Pinnacles National Park is one of the great honors in my career with the National Park Service because it feels like I’m coming home,” said Stransky. The Arizona native spent her formative years living and working on rural cotton farms where she developed a love for the outdoors and the Sonoran desert.
“I’m humbled by the opportunity and look forward to continuing the great work associated with the reintroduction of the California condor, connecting people to outdoor recreational opportunities, and enhancing the visitor experience by addressing maintenance and infrastructure needs at the park,” Stransky added.
Stransky began her career immediately after college as a seasonal park ranger at Grand Canyon National Park and has worked in various park service roles throughout the country, including chief of interpretation at Denali National Park and Preserve, superintendent at Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, and superintendent of Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. She has also worked at Zion National Park, the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, Women’s Rights National Historical Park, and Chamizal National Memorial.