National Park Interim Superintendent meets Gage County officials

BEATRICE – Gage County Board members met the interim head of the Homestead National Historical Park, on Wednesday.
Park Superintendent Mark Engler recently retired, and Tim Colyer with the National Park Service Omaha region office is filling in, until a permanent superintendent is chosen.

"My day job is as the regional chief ranger for Visitor and Resource Protection Division for the National Park Service. I work out of the regional office up in Omaha. The plan is, I will be here through the end of the year. The announcement for a permanent replacement just hit the website yesterday. It will be open for the next week or so, or until they get at least 75 applications. Hopefully, toward the beginning of the new year, we'll know who the permanent replacement is going to be."

Colyer is originally from a small town in Pennsylvania.

"I have a lot of respect for the relationship that Mark was able to build with the Friends (of the Homestead) group, with the county supervisors and with the community at large. My goal for filling in during this time of transition is to not let those relationships dissolve."

Mark Engler served as Superintendent at the Homestead for more than twenty years.