Event

Virtual Open House: General Session

Blue Ridge Parkway

Fee:

Free.

Dates & Times

Date:

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Time:

11:00 AM

Duration:

1 hour

Type of Event

Management/Planning
Other
Virtual/Digital

Description

The Blue Ridge region is an area steeped in tradition and is recognized worldwide for its natural and cultural richness. The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches 469 miles through the region, connecting Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Shenandoah National Park. Along the way, the Parkway ties together a diverse landscape and lifestyleconnecting the past with the present and preserving the region's heritage for the future. This session provides attendees a brief introduction and orientation to the Blue Ridge Parkway and an opportunity to consider the complexity of managing this 469-mile linear park. 

Hosts:

Rachel Stasny - Chief of Administration and Chief of Staff, Blue Ridge Parkway

  • Rachel joined the NPS in 2014 and worked as an analyst for offices within the NPS headquarters in Washington DC prior to joining the parkway management team in 2019.  

Alexa Viets - Acting Superintendent, Blue Ridge Parkway

  • Alexa is currently serving as the Acting Superintendent for the Blue Ridge Parkway while the park is in pursuit of a permanent replacement for former Superintendent, J.D. Lee. Alexa typically serves as the Chief of Resource Management and Interpretation for the Blue Ridge Parkway where she leads a team of 18 permanent staff of interpreters, cultural resource managers, natural resource scientists and planning and design professionals, as well as overseeing 20-25 additional seasonal interpretive rangers and the Parkway’s visitor center operations. She joined the Blue Ridge Parkway team in the spring of 2017. Prior to her time on the Parkway, Alexa served in numerous roles in the NPS including as the Acting Chief of Staff for the Director of the NPS and as the Chief of the Centennial Office from 2012 to 2016.

Presenters: 

Tina White – District Supervisor for Interpretation and Education, Blue Ridge Parkway

  • Tina White started work as an interpretive park ranger with the National Park Service in 1990 at New River Gorge National River in WV. After staying there for 10 years, she made her way to the Blue Ridge Parkway where she’s been ever since. As District Supervisor for Interpretation & Education, she and her staff work the section of Parkway in from Mt. Mitchell State Park to north of Boone and Blowing Rock in North Carolina. Her favorite overlook is around MP 328 – The Loops Overlook. 

Leesa Brandon – External Affairs Specialist, Blue Ridge Parkway

  • Leesa Brandon is the Blue Ridge Parkway’s External Affairs Specialist and oversees the park’s public affairs, partnerships and volunteer programs. Leesa works regularly with park staff across a variety of disciplines, community and partner organizations, and media outlets to promote understanding and stewardship of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Jim Grant – Chief of Maintenance and Engineering, Blue Ridge Parkway

  • As the Chief of Maintenance & Engineering, Jim manages the day-to-day field maintenance operations, asset management, and design & construction activities for the entire Blue Ridge Parkway.  Jim has previously served in management positions at Gateway National Recreation Area in New York City and New Jersey and at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. 

Reservation or Registration: Yes

Produced in partnership with the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Virtual Open House sessions will be presented as Zoom webinars, with a dedicated question and answer session during each event. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Make Reservation or Register

Contact Information

Blue Ridge Parkway Public Affairs

Contact Us