Manassas Battlefield chief Ed Clark moving to top spot at Gettysburg

Since 2008, Ed W. Clark has faithfully served the Manassas National Battlefield Park as superintendent. But next month, he’ll be superintendent at a national park up north: Gettysburg.

Beginning February 9, Clark will be the new superintendent at the Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site in Adams County, Pa.

Clark, a life-long Virginian born in Roanoke, but who now lives in Loudoun County with his wife and children, will close the chapter of his professional life in northern Virginia and open a new one in Gettysburg, Pa.

Clark became superintendent at Manassas in April 2008.

Prior to Manassas he was deputy chief ranger at Shenandoah National Park and supervisory park ranger at the Blue Ridge Parkway.

He is enrolled in the Senior Executive Service’s (SES) Candidate Development Program for federal employees, distinguishing him as one of the National Park Service’s most skilled senior leaders. “It’s a certification program; and staff members at popular parks such as Yosemite and Yellowstone have gone through SES,” Clark added.

Clark will replace Bob Kirby who has been at Gettysburg since March 2010. In September, Kirby announced his retirement after 40 years with the U.S. Department of Interior’s National Park Service.

And Clark’s replacement at Manassas National Battlefield may be months away but there will be an interim acting superintendent.

The highlight of his time at Manassas “was the sesquicentennial [150th anniversary of the 1861-1865 Civil War], but we did other things such as preserving the park’s cultural landscape,” Clark added.

Other accomplishments include the completion of the park’s General Management Plan, which calls for a new visitor center in the vicinity of the battlefield; the current one on Henry Hill was built in 1941.

“Manassas is a great place; being here has been a wonderful experience. The sophistication of the population around the park due to the proximity to D.C., government employees and other professionals, meant I always got lots of thoughtful, challenging questions,” Clark said.

And what will Clark miss most? The staff. The volunteers.

“Since we have a small staff we’re very close. We also have a tremendous volunteer core, and I’ve had good relationships with partners and elected officials. Together, we have restored landscapes, made repairs to historic buildings, permanently preserved many acres, opened new facilities and opportunities for the public, improved and expanded the natural resource program, broadened our reach into the community, put the park on solid financial footing during difficult times and shared this special place with the world during our sesquicentennial commemorations.”

Clark admitted that the Manassas battlefield that will always be a special place for him. “[After all] I have ancestors who fought here at Second Manassas. But now it’s off to cross the Potomac and head north. Hopefully I’ll have a better reception and more success than that other Virginian had 150 years ago [Robert E. Lee].”

The Manassas National Battlefield Park’s Henry Hill Visitor Center is located at 6511 Sudley Road in Manassas. The phone number is 703-361-1339 and the website is http://www.nps.gov/mana The F.acebook account is http://www.facebook.com/manassasbattlefield or follow the park on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/ManassasNPS .