New Superintendent of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area has overseen several national parks

Doyle Sapp, who began as a Georgia police officer, before supervising several national parks, will be the next superintendent of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the National Park Service (NPS) Northeast Regional Director Gay Vietzke has announced. Sapp has served there as acting superintendent since August.

“Doyle has extensive experience managing complex parks and engaging with employees,” said Vietzke. “He has a proven track record of working with the community and stakeholders to build strong foundations for success. Doyle is a caring and thoughtful manager who is ideally positioned to serve the needs of the park.”

“We often talk about the power of place in the National Park Service,” said Sapp. “Since coming to the Delaware River Valley, with its powerful natural beauty, its tremendous opportunities for recreation and its rich cultural history, I have found a place that offers both reflection and challenge. I look forward to leading the talented, passionate staff and collaborating with our dedicated partners and community members to help preserve this special place so that others can reflect and be challenged.”

Doyle is a 29-year NPS employee who has served as a superintendent for over 12 years and comes to the park most recently from Richmond National Battlefield Park and Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, both in Richmond, Virginia. Before that, he served in various superintendency positions in North Carolina and Alabama. He has served on several NPS regional leadership councils and has worked extensively to build key partnerships and expand collaboration with Tribal governments. Prior to joining NPS, he served as a police officer in his hometown of Americus, Georgia in the 1990s.

Sapp will move to eastern Pennsylvania with his wife Noelle and their two rescue cats after the new year. In his free time, Sapp enjoys hiking in the beauty of our public lands, reading and exploring historic sites.

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

Photo Credit: