Valley Forge Park Gets New Superintendent
VALLEY FORGE, PA (CBS) -- There's a new man in charge at the Valley Forge National Historical Park - and he didn't have to travel far to take the promotion.
Steve Sims has been in the Philadelphia area since 2011 serving as facility manager at Independence National Historic Park.
He then moved to the National Park Service's regional office in Philadelphia, where he managed more than 80 national park facilities in the Northeast region.
Now, he's in charge of the historic Valley Forge property made up of 3500 acres, and supervising 55 permanent employees and 20 seasonal workers.
"Having this huge responsibility is an honor, and it means a lot to me that somebody's entrusted me to take care and steward this wonderful resource and preserve the history and all that it represents," Sims said.
The 43-year-old native of suburban Bakersfield, California, is also a graduate of West Point and served in the Army for six years before joining the park service.
Sims says he's excited by the extensive community support for Valley Forge.
The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board presented a Sims a check for more than $50,000. Money he says he'll put to good use for improvements at the visitor center, maintenance for Sullivan's Bridge, a pedestrian span over the Schuylkill River, and park orientation information on a new kiosk between the visitor center and the parking lot.
