WASHINGTON — National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis has named John A. Wessels as the Service’s Intermountain regional director, responsible for leading 5,000 employees and 92 national parks visited by more than 42 million people annually. Wessels, who serves as the region’s associate director for administration, business and technology, assumes his new position in Denver in August.

“John has an incredible track record of tackling tough issues and finding innovative solutions,” Jarvis said. “Results-oriented and goal-driven, John manages by inclusion, building a collaborative work ethic among employees and with partners. He strives for the highest standards of transparency and accountability. He has an easy grasp of the big picture and is dedicated to the effective use of new and emerging technologies to meet the needs of the National Park Service. As the National Park Service looks toward its second century, he will be a valuable member of our national senior management team.”

“Serving as the Intermountain regional director is a tremendous honor,” Wessels said. “The region is home to some of this country’s most spectacular landscapes and most compelling stories, places that have been entrusted to the National Park Service by the American people for nearly 100 years. It is our privilege to care for the natural and cultural resources in parks and to work with communities around the region to help them preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities for their citizens.

“For me, this is an opportunity to support employees in their dedicated efforts to care for these special places and engage park visitors, partners, and communities. I will listen carefully to their voices as we work together to preserve these places, engage the public, draw young people to the parks, and provide meaningful experiences to our diverse audiences.”

As the regional associate director for administration, business and technology since 2004, Wessels oversees a regional annual operating budget of $500 million and the largest concessions contracting operation in the National Park Service, more than 200 contracts that gross over $425 million annually. Over the last 18 months, he has also led the investment of $200 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds in priority park projects across the region. He was the key figure in developing a virtual acquisition strategy for the Service that has improved accountability.