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Roberta
D’Amico to Lead
National
Park Service Office of Communications
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Washington,
DC – January 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / National
Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis has named Roberta D’Amico
to lead the bureau’s Office of Communications effective Jan. 12. A 32-year
veteran of the National Park Service, her interdisciplinary career has
focused on strategic communications, public affairs, interpretation, education
and incident management team communications.
“As
we approach the 2016 National Park Service centennial and prepare for a
second century of service to the American public, I am excited about Roberta
joining the senior leadership team as our assistant director for communications,”
Jarvis said. “Roberta's diverse background in the National Park Service
combined with her expertise in communications, bring a level of professionalism
and commitment that will benefit parks, programs, partners, employees and
visitors alike.”
D’Amico
said, “It’s an honor and a privilege to be selected for this position.
I am excited to work with dedicated National Park Service professionals
and our partners and friends to tell America’s stories which are threaded
through the historic, cultural and natural resources in our care.”
Currently
D’Amico is the Communication and Education Branch Chief with the National
Park Service Division of Fire and Aviation Management. The national headquarters
for the division is co-located with other federal agencies at the National
Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
As
branch chief, she provides leadership and expertise in development and
implementation of strategic communication efforts of the aviation, structural
and wildland fire programs. With a broad spectrum of individuals, groups
and partners interested in these programs the messages focus on policy,
programmatic approaches and, most importantly, the safety of the people
involved. Working within the interagency arena, she serves as a spokesperson
facilitating national and international media requests in response to national
wildland fire activities, critical events, policies, or program status.
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“In
this virtual world, we are all communicators,” D’Amico said. “The message
we relay through a variety of mediums is critical. This position
is about leading a team of facilitators, advisors and consultants in the
National Park Service community on a variety of communications issues.”
D’Amico
previously spent five years at Everglades National Park as a district interpreter
and then as chief of interpretation and visitor services. In her
federal career she has worked as a dispatcher, a technician in the division
of administration/maintenance, park ranger, park and regional public affairs
officer, and management assistant.
She
was on the first National Park Service’s incident management team and subsequently
served as an information officer on local, regional and national wildland
fire, special events, and critical incidents.
In
September 2013, she achieved her accreditation in public relations through
the Public Relations Society of America. Accreditation recognizes
practitioners who have mastered the knowledge, skills and abilities needed
to develop and deliver strategic communications. She honed her leadership
skills by becoming a master graduate of Rapport Leadership International.
Academically, she received an M.A. in Environmental Science/Interdisciplinary
Education, from Montclair State University in New Jersey, and a B.A. in
Environmental Science/Biology, from the State University of New York at
Plattsburgh.
A lifelong
member of the Association of National Park Rangers (ANPR), one of her volunteer
activities is serving as the co-chair of ANPR’s Mentoring Program.
Roberta
and her husband, John Segar, enjoy spending time outdoors, traveling, time
with family and friends, especially if it involves food. Segar is the fire
director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
About
the National Park Service
More
than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 405 national
parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local
history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at
www.nps.gov,
on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice,
Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice,
and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
Media
Contact:
National
Park Service
Jeffrey
Olson
202-208-6843 |