Daniel “Boone” Vandzura is now the acting chief ranger for the Outer Banks Group; Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial, the National Park Service has announced.
Vandzura, who was nicknamed “Boone” by coworkers over the years, is the supervisor of the Visitor and Resource Protection division for all three parks.
Previously, Vandzura worked in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, where he held many detail assignments, the last being the emergency services director within the Chief Ranger’s office in Yellowstone. Vandzura is originally from Pennsylvania and vacationed in northern North Carolina as a youth.
Michelle Havens serves as the new chief of resource management for the Outer Banks Group. Havens grew up on the beaches and shores of the Texas Gulf Coast where fishing and camping with her family led to a career in natural resources for the National Park Service.
She received her master and bachelor of science degrees from Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, and has since studied and worked in coastal ecosystems and shorebirds. She comes to the Outer Banks Group from Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California. Being a water sports lover, she missed the coastal communities and she enjoys kayaking, fishing, bird watching, eating southern home-cooking, and spending time on the beach.
“It feels good to be back at a seashore!” Havens said.Michelle Havens
