National Park Service News Release
CONTACTS:
Deborah Coble, NPS South Atlantic-Gulf Region, 907-280-8739
Marjorie Thomas, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, 770-427-4686
Patrick Gamman Named Superintendent of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
ATLANTA - Today, National Park Service (NPS) South Atlantic-Gulf Acting Regional Director Karen Cucurullo announced the selection of Patrick Gamman as the new superintendent of Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, located in Kennesaw, Georgia. Gamman will begin his new assignment in mid-August.
“Patrick has the knowledge, skills and discernment needed to help preserve Kennesaw Mountain
National Battlefield Park’s critical resources while also broadening its stories and visitor base," Cucurullo said. "His background in economic development, recreational tourism, historic interpretation and stakeholder engagement will serve the park and neighboring communities well."
“I am honored to join such an exceptional team," said Gamman. “From a shared history of the sacrifices made during the Civil War to the natural beauty that draws in a wide variety of recreationists, Kennesaw has so much to offer. I look forward to working closely with NPS staff, partners and friends to create new opportunities to share and preserve this unique cultural and natural landscape."
Gamman has a park service career that spans almost three decades. Most recently, he served as superintendent of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon. His first NPS experience was in 1990 as a Student Conservation Association volunteer at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota.
Through the years, Gamman has held a variety of positions in management, interpretation and backcountry in national parks across the country, including Denali National Park and Preserve, Grand Canyon National Park and Cape Hatteras and Padre Island national seashores. Gamman returned to the South Atlantic-Gulf Region three years ago when he served as acting superintendent of Andrew Johnson National Historic Site in Tennessee. There, he gained a deep respect for the region’s employees, partners and communities.
In addition to his time with the National Park Service, Gamman volunteered with the U.S. Peace Corps in the Philippines, where he helped create more than 40 new jobs and countless
opportunities for locals to connect with Biak-na-Bato National Park on sustainable cave management strategies.
An Oregon native, Gamman graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in geology. He takes every opportunity to enjoy parks and the outdoors - kayaking, bicycling, hiking and horseback riding - with his wife, Jo Anne, who also works for the National Park Service.
About Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park :
Located northwest of Atlanta, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park preserves 11 miles of Union and Confederate earthworks on 2,894 acres within the park. These earthworks mark the sites of the battles of Kolb’s Farm, June 22, 1864, and Kennesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864. Gen. William T.
Sherman’s southward advance was temporarily halted here by Gen. Joseph T. Johnston and the defense of his Confederate soldiers. The park was authorized as a national battlefield site February 8, 1917; transferred from the War Department Aug. 10, 1933 and redesignated as a national battlefield park June 26, 1935.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
