Bob Krumenaker, a National Park Service veteran of more than 40 years with postings from Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Big Bend National Park to Valley Forge National Historical Park, has been voted onto the National Parks Traveler’s board of directors.

Krumenaker, who retired in July 2023 after serving almost five years as Big Bend’s superintendent, previously served as chief of natural resources in Park Service regional offices in Santa Fe and Philadelphia, as chief of natural and cultural resources at Shenandoah National Park, and as acting superintendent at Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks during an extended assignment.

Krumenaker said he long has followed Traveler for its coverage of the Park Service and National Park System.

The Traveler “looks into things in the Park Service at a level of depth and policy sophistication that is just lacking. I don’t always love what the Traveler publishes, but I think it’s the only media organization that’s doing anything like that. And it’s critically important to the Service and to the public who cares about national parks.”

As a board member, Krumenaker looks forward to applying his extensive boots-on-the ground experience managing national park units and his knowledge of policy and law to assist in identifying important topics that warrant coverage in the Traveler. He can offer a reality check as well, with the goal of keeping Traveler relevant and vital to the people of the NPS, and those who care about it.

Krumenaker, who lives in Carlsbad, New Mexico, also currently volunteers for www.keepbigbendwild.org, a grassroots organization he helped found while Big Bend superintendent. KBBW’s mission is to build a widespread coalition of support for a long-dormant effort to see the undeveloped wild lands of Big Bend National Park permanently protected as federal wilderness.