NPS names Yellowstone Deputy Superintendent

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. (KIFI/KIDK) - A 35-year veteran of the National Park Service has been named Deputy Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. Superintendent Cam Sholly said Mike Tranel will arrive in the park in early February 2021.

Since 2018, Tranel has been superintendent of the Power River Group, overseeing the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Little Bighorn Battlefield and Devils Tower national monuments and Fort Laramie National Historic Site. 

As Deputy, Tranel will serve as chief operating officer. Yellowstone is one of the largest operations in the Park Service with 750 employees and a budget of over $65 million.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Mike and his family to Yellowstone,” said Superintendent Sholly. “Mike has managed a wide range of complex operations and programs spanning Alaska to Washington, DC. He has also worked very successfully across boundaries with many partners, something essential to Yellowstone’s success.”

Tranel said he has had many adventures in and around the park during his life in the region.

"One adventure included working two summers during graduate school at Bridge Bay Marina, a great base for exploring the backcountry. During that second summer, I decided to embark on a long-term career with the NPS, so Yellowstone for me is where it all started. I look forward to working with the talented team at the park, partners and local communities. There is a lot we can accomplish together in addressing the challenges of the present and planning for the future.”

He and his wife, Mary Tidlow, have two daughters. Tidlow also works for the service as an architect in the NPS Park Facilities Management Division.