On September 4, Doug Morris will start duties as new Park Superintendent at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Morris, who previously served as superintendent of Saguaro National Park in Arizona, will be replacing Bill Wade, who retired in July. Doug Morris brings over 30 years of National Park Service experience to his new job.

“I am delighted to take on the many challenges of Shenandoah National Park,” Morris said. “I’m looking forward to getting to know not only the park staff, but also the many partners and friends in the surrounding communities.”

Morris began working for the National Park Service as a seasonal ranger in the early 1960s at Crater Lake, Yosemite, and Carlsbad Caverns. He worked full-time at Cape Hatteras National Seashore for four years, followed by stints at Point Reyes National Seashore, Sequoia National Park, Cabrillo National Monument, and Kings Canyon. This is one job where Morris didn’t mind having to move a lot.

In January 1993, Morris became superintendent of Saguaro National Park, located near Tucson, Arizona. He has also served as the acting chief of the Western Archeological and Conservation Center, located in Tucson.

National Park Service Northeast Regional Director Marie Rust believes Morris will serve as an excellent superintendent of Shenandoah.

“There are many opportunities for him to form new policies or channel his own slant on current situations within the park, one of Virginia’s most stellar natural and historic possessions,” she said. “We look forward to his taking the reins here, and I know he’ll protect our evergreen and other trees just as he has protected Saguaro cacti for the last few years.”