Woman tapped to lead Park Service’s Denver office quits

The employee tapped to take over the National Park Service’s Intermountain regional office in Denver has quit.

The Jackson Hole News and Guide reports the superintendent of Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lizette Richardson, was recently asked to lead the office, which oversees Yellowstone, Grand Teton and dozens of other national parks in eight states. But Richardson – like the regional director she was to replace, Sue Masica – rejected a transfer ordered by Secretary Ryan Zinke’s Interior Department, and will instead end a long career of working for the federal government.

Lake Mead spokeswoman Christie Vanover says Richardson “notified her employees (Tuesday) that she plans to retire.”

The Jackson Hole News and Guide broke the story Wednesday about Masica’s retirement, prompted by a rejected reassignment to the Park Service’s Midwestern regional office in Omaha, Nebraska.