David Szymanski, the new Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area superintendent, began his work for the organization last Thursday. Szymanski replaces Woody Smeck, who transferred to Yosemite National Park earlier this year after serving as superintendent for 10 years.
Prior to his new job, Szymanski served as the superintendent of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. He has been working with parks and communities for 19 years, including 14 years with the National Park Service.
“I am very excited about working with our neighbors, partners, and park staff at Santa Monica Mountains,” Szymanski said in a statement after accepting the position this summer. “I look forward to joining them in their mission to sustain the mountains and serve all residents of greater Los Angeles and the surrounding areas.”
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is the largest urban national park in the U.S., with more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.