National Park Service taps New Orleans-based official as Deputy Southeast Regional Director

Lance Hatten. Photo credit: National Park Service.

National Park Service (NPS) Southeast Regional Director Stan Austin announced the selection of Lance Hatten as deputy regional director of the Southeast Region, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Hatten has been acting in the position since November 2017 and assumed the role permanently on March 18.

Hatten has served as superintendent of Louisiana’s New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve since 2013. There, he worked with staff, partners, and gateway communities to improve hydrology on park wetlands, advance preservation at Chalmette National Cemetery and Chalmette Battlefield, and deepen engagement in cultural events like Experience Louisiana and the French Quarter Festival.

“Lance has a wide breadth of experience extending from natural and cultural resources to historic preservation, operations, and policy management,” Austin said. “With support from the NPS Acting Director, we welcome Lance’s ongoing contributions as a permanent member of the regional leadership team.”

Hatten has nearly 28 years of federal service that began in the U.S. Army with tours of duty in Augsburg, Germany and Fort Hood, Tx. His term with the National Park Service has covered assignments at a range of park units across the National Capital and Southeast regions, including service at:

  • Florida’s Castillo de San Marcos National Monument as a law enforcement and interpretive ranger;

  • Fort Pulaski National Monument in Georgia where he managed historic sites on Cockspur Island and natural areas on McQueen’s Island as chief of both the interpretation and law enforcement divisions; and

  • The District of Columbia’s National Mall and Memorial Parks — containing prominent national memorials like the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument —  where he was a special assistant to the superintendent, deputy chief of administration and chief of interpretation and education.

Hatten said, “I remember fondly my visit to the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site as a second-grade student in upstate New York. That first encounter with a national treasure became a defining moment that has shaped my work with the National Park Service for nearly three decades. I hope to bring this perspective to bear as a deputy regional director, along with critical insight I have gleaned as a student, interpretive ranger, law enforcement ranger, resource manager, superintendent and frequent park visitor.”

The Buffalo, N.Y. native received a Bachelor of Arts in History from Grambling State University and a Master of Arts in American History from George Mason University. Hatten completed the Federal Executive Institute: Leadership in a Democratic Society executive development program in 2015 and has received numerous NPS honors, including the prestigious Harry Yount Award from the National Capital Region in 2006.

Hatten is a dedicated father to his daughter Arcadia and enjoys hikes in local, state, and national parks during his spare time.

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