The Point Reyes National Seashore has a new boss. On Thursday, officials announced the appointment of Anne Altman, who had been serving as the park’s deputy superintendent since 2022 and as interim superintendent since June. A 23-year veteran of the National Park Service and a native of St. Louis, Mo., Ms. Altman holds a degree in environmental science from Stanford University and a master’s in business administration from the University of California, Davis. “In my 23 years, I’ve come to understand that the National Park Service and its parks are such complicated places, largely because they are loved by so many,” Ms. Altman told the Light. “It’s really a powerful realization to think, ‘Gosh! I can help take care of these places that people love so much.’” Ms. Altman began her career with the park service as a young business school graduate through a special internship program that paired her with Bryce Canyon National Park. Later, she worked on the business and management side of Rocky Mountain National Park before serving as chief of commercial services for the Pacific West Regional Office from 2004 to 2013. She then joined the Business Management Group based in Washington, D.C., advising on national park administration. When Ms. Altman arrived in Point Reyes nearly three years ago, she became the park’s first deputy superintendent, overseeing resource protection, facilities management and the park’s commercial lease agreements. Her responsibilities have included managing the park’s septic systems, water monitoring and infrastructure maintenance. She succeeds Craig Kenkel, who retired after a three-year tenure marked by legal disputes over ranching and tule elk. Prior to Mr. Kenkel, the park was briefly led by Carey Feierabend, an acting superintendent who stepped in after Cicely Muldoon left to lead Yosemite National Park after a 10-year tenure. Ms. Muldoon took over from Don Neubacher, who helmed the seashore for a decade and a half. Donna Faure, executive director of Point Reyes National Seashore Association, praised Ms. Altman’s collaborative and decisive style, describing her appointment as a continuation of the park’s culture. “Anne’s been a terrific partner and worked side by side with me and the former superintendent to really help the park become a more welcoming place, especially for youth from communities historically excluded from public lands,” she said. As the ninth superintendent since the seashore’s establishment in 1962, Ms. Altman acknowledges the complex issues she has inherited, many of which are entangled in ongoing litigation. “We currently have a lot of matters driven by litigation, which, of course, I can’t talk about,” she said. “But we’re really hoping to tie a bow in that soon.” Despite these challenges, Ms. Altman, who said she feels ready to refocus the park’s resources away from litigation, doesn’t see her role as political. “My old boss Jon Jarvis, who led the National Park Service under President Obama, always said that the park service thrives no matter who is in charge, thanks to the deep, bipartisan love for national parks.”