National Park Service announces new superintendent for MLK Jr. National Historical Park

ATLANTA — The National Park Service announced Thursday that the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park would have a new superintendent starting in August.

Reginald Chapple was named to the role, adding to his 12-year career with NPS.

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“Reggie is an experienced leader with the right skills to lead in complex environments,” Mark Foust, NPS South Atlantic-Gulf Regional Director said in a statement. “He approaches his work with a high degree of collaboration and demonstrates great passion for the missions of the park and National Park Service. His background in executive leadership, civil rights and external affairs will contribute to his success as superintendent, as we partner with the King family to share the history and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.”

Chapple was described as having provided critical leadership nationally for NPS while serving as the Acting Associate Director of Partnerships and Civic Engagement for more than three years, as well as for his work as the Division Chief for the NPS’s Office of Partnerships and Philanthropic Stewardship.

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More recently, NPS said Chapple has served in a supporting role at the U.S. Department of the Interior as the Senior Advisor for Strategic Partnerships, a special assignment he took on in November.

“I have always been inspired by Dr. King’s leadership within the Civil Rights Movement, which continues to have global impact,” Chapple said about his new position. “I am honored to serve as superintendent of the Martin Luther King National Historical Park and committed to working with the King family, park staff and partners to preserve and share the legacy of Dr. King with the community that shaped him and his philosophies.”

A Los Angeles native, Chapple has more than 20 years of experience working in nonprofits, particularly as an executive with “deep civil rights ties,” according to NPS.

In the past, NPS said Chapple has worked as the chief operating officer of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) of Greater Los Angeles, and as president & CEO of a housing and community development non-profit corporation along the Historic Central Avenue corridor in Los Angeles where he managed three National Registry Monuments and led restoration efforts for the home of Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, a United Nations diplomat who co-authored the U.N. Charter and gained distinction as the first person of color to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

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