Jon Jarvis

Jon Jarvis
Name	Jon Jarvis
Birth date	1953
Birth place	Seattle, Washington
Nationality	American
Occupation	Park superintendent; government official; conservationist
Years active	1976–present
Known for	Director of the National Park Service

Jon Jarvis is an American conservationist and public servant who led the United States National Park Service (NPS) as its 18th Director from 2009 to 2017. He served in multiple regional and field leadership roles within the NPS, managed large-scale public lands programs, and later held positions in federal, state, and nonprofit organizations. His tenure intersected with national debates involving environmental policy, public lands management, cultural resource protection, and climate adaptation.

Early life and education

Jarvis was born in Seattle and raised in the Pacific Northwest, where influences from the Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, and regional conservation movements shaped his interests. He completed undergraduate studies at the University of Washington, engaging with faculty and programs associated with Seattle Pacific University-area field studies and regional environmental initiatives. He later pursued graduate-level training and professional development through programs tied to National Park Service training centers and partnerships with institutions such as the George Washington University and executive courses connected to agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service.

Career

Jarvis began his federal career in the mid-1970s with assignments in field operations and resource management across western parks including duty at Denali National Park and Preserve, Mount Rainier National Park, and the National Mall and Memorial Parks. He advanced through superintendent positions at units like San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park and Kettle Moraine State Forest-area partnerships, and regional offices including the National Park Service Pacific West Region and the National Park Service Pacific West Regional Office in Seattle. His portfolio involved collaboration with agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and tribal governments including the Tulalip Tribes and Suquamish Tribe. Jarvis worked with leaders from the Department of the Interior, including Secretaries during the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, and coordinated with congressional committees such as the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the United States House Committee on Natural Resources.

He managed partnerships with nonprofit organizations like the National Park Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, and the Sierra Club, and engaged with philanthropic entities including the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Packard Foundation. Jarvis participated in international exchanges involving the International Union for Conservation of Nature and agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development.

Director of the National Park Service

Appointed as Director of the NPS in 2009, Jarvis led the agency through policy and operational challenges including centennial preparations for the NPS, resource stewardship initiatives, and responses to shifting climatic conditions affecting units such as Glacier National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and Everglades National Park. He emphasized scientific partnerships with the U.S. Geological Survey, Smithsonian Institution, and academic centers including University of California, Berkeley and Colorado State University for research on biodiversity, invasive species, and visitor impacts.

Under his leadership the NPS worked with federal partners like the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on climate monitoring and adaptation, and engaged with cultural institutions such as the National Archives and Records Administration and the Smithsonian Institution for historic preservation. Jarvis oversaw policy dialogues concerning the Antiquities Act, monument designations involving sites in the Southwest United States and on the Columbia River, and management of battlefield units tied to the Civil War and other historic conflicts.

His directorship included operational coordination during events involving the Department of Homeland Security, responses to natural disasters such as wildfires in the Western United States and hurricanes affecting parks along the Gulf Coast, and management reforms addressing workforce issues with unions like the National Treasury Employees Union.

Later career and public service

After leaving the NPS in 2017, Jarvis served in roles with the National Park Foundation and as a senior advisor in state-level positions including work with the California Natural Resources Agency and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. He joined academic and policy organizations, contributing to programs at institutions such as the University of California, the Harvard Kennedy School, and the Yale School of the Environment. Jarvis provided consultancy to international bodies including the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Wildlife Fund and engaged with regional coalitions like the Pacific Coast Collaborative and the Outdoor Industry Association.

He continued public engagement through participation in commissions and advisory bodies including the National Academy of Sciences, the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy, and commissions linked to the National Park System Advisory Board. Jarvis worked with community organizations and tribal governments such as the Hoh Indian Tribe and the Quileute Tribe on access, cultural resource protection, and co-stewardship initiatives.

Awards and honors

Jarvis received recognitions from entities including the Department of the Interior, the National Park Foundation, and the National Parks Conservation Association. He earned honors tied to conservation achievement from organizations such as the Nature Conservancy, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Outdoor Industry Association. Academic institutions including the University of Washington and the Colorado College have acknowledged his leadership in public lands stewardship. He has been invited to deliver lectures and keynote addresses at venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Category:Living people Category:Directors of the National Park Service Category:People from Seattle