People in the news: O’Sullivan named superintendent of National Park Service Chesapeake office

Wendy O’Sullivan of Davidsonville has been named superintendent of the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National Park Service, overseeing efforts to manage and develop the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network.

O’Sullivan currently serves as associate regional director for partnerships, visitor experience, and outdoor recreation for the National Capital Region in Washington, D.C, overseeing six regional programs and a $3.8 million budget. She will begin her new assignment in the Annapolis office this summer.

“Wendy brings extensive experience creating and sustaining partnerships to her new role,” park service Northeast Regional Director Gay Vietzke said in announcing the appointment Monday. “Her background in strategic partnerships will bring a steady hand and a wealth of knowledge to managing the National Park Service’s role in preserving the largest estuary in North America.”

The Chesapeake Conservancy, the principal partner to National Park Service on the Chesapeake Bay Gateways, applauded O’Sullivan’s selection citing her background in marine policy, partnerships and community engagement.

“Anyone familiar with conservation work in the Chesapeake knows that the most successful outcomes are those reached through partnership and collaboration," President and CEO Joel Dunn said in a statement released Tuesday.

Since it was established by Congress in 1998, the Gateways program has provided approximately $22 million in financial and technical assistance for more than 360 projects in communities across the watershed, improving Chesapeake Bay access and fueling the outdoor recreation economy, the conservancy said.

Over a 20-year park service career, O’Sullivan has served in three regions and its national headquarters, gaining experience in park partnerships, community engagement, stewardship and program management. Most recently, she served as acting superintendent for Fire Island National Seashore in New York.