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Jennifer Hardin Named Superintendent of Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Sites

National Park Service (NPS) Regional Director Gay Vietzke has named Jennifer Hardin as the new superintendent of both Salem Maritime National Historic Site and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site. Both sites are located in Massachusetts. This superintendent also works closely with local partners, including Essex National Heritage Area. Her tour of duty begins October 23.  

“Jennifer comes with a deep set of skills developing and working with partnerships,” said Regional Director Vietzke. “She has worked closely with elected officials, Tribal governments, communities, businesses and stakeholders to accomplish shared goals with the NPS. Her ability to build strong working relationships and her collaborative leadership style are some of what makes her a perfect choice for the parks.”

I am honored to have the opportunity to join the team at these two amazing national historic sites and to continue to build on the strong community partnerships that are so vital to our collective achievement of the NPS mission.

Superintendent Jennifer Hardin
Superintendent Jennifer Hardin – NPS Photo

Since 2019, Hardin has served as chief of External Affairs at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA) in Utah and Arizona as well as Rainbow Bridge National Monument in Utah. At both sites, Hardin lead multiple park teams to address critical resource protection needs and ensure that high quality services are provided to visitors. These included the protection of irreplaceable archeological assets and the provision of water-and land-based recreation opportunities. In 2021, approximately three million people visited Glen Canyon NRA.

 Hardin’s career reveals a willingness and ability to develop solutions with groups that have competing needs. Previously, Hardin worked for several years with the Federal Subsistence Management Program in Alaska. There, she listened to the viewpoints of agencies and a wide variety of stakeholders, facilitating creative solutions through partnerships, policy and regulation that helped everyone accomplish their larger goals. She began her federal career in 2009 at Yosemite National Park, where she served as park anthropologist and Tribal liaison.

Hardin holds both a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida.


The above press release was submitted to us by the National Park Service.

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