Dec 16, 2011 2 min read

PHILADELPHIA — The National Park Service has named a new superintendent for western Pennsylvania.

Dennis R. Reidenbach, National Park Service Northeast regional director, has selected Jeff Reinbold to serve as superintendent of the national parks of western Pennsylvania, which includes Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Farmington, Friendship Hill National Historic Site in Springhill Township, the Flight 93 National Memorial, Johnstown Flood National Memorial and Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site.

Reinbold will assume his duties Jan. 1. He succeeds Keith Newlin, who completed a one-year term as superintendent, and will resume his duties as deputy superintendent.

“Jeff Reinbold has both experience and vision,” said Reidenbach, “and his strong background in planning will be critical as we look to the long-term vision for the parks of western Pennsylvania. He is the right person to bring best practices in partnering and community outreach to all five western Pennsylvania parks.

“Keith Newlin’s strength in park operations was important during his temporary assignment, as the National Park Service completed the construction for the initial phase of the Flight 93 Memorial as promised for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. He remains an important part of the management team as deputy superintendent,” Reidenbach added.

In his 20 years with the National Park Service, Reinbold has led planning and partnership projects around the country: protecting historic sites and Civil War battlefields, developing new ways for national parks to work with their neighboring communities and exploring ways to make national parks relevant to new audiences.

He came to the Flight 93 National Memorial in early 2003 and oversaw the international design competition as well as the creation of a long-range management plan. The design competition marked the first time an entire national park of that size was designed through a competition.

Reinbold has served as the acting superintendent of Fort Necessity National Battlefield and Friendship Hill National Historic Site. He also completed a 2 1/2-year assignment to the National Park Foundation where he was the partnerships and government affairs liaison, responsible for congressional affairs and the organization’s relationship with park philanthropic partners. He started his National Park Service career as a seasonal ranger at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial.

Reinbold holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Ohio State University.