New superintendent of Manassas National Battlefield Park named

From the National Park Service: 

Brandon Bies has been named superintendent of Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia, where he will manage the lands and resources associated with two major Civil War battles. The historic meadows and woodlands of the 5,000-acre park draw more than 500,000 visitors annually.

Bies’s appointment to this position was finalized before the Presidential Memorandum Regarding the Hiring Freeze was issued on January 23, 2017.

Bies (pronounced BIZE) has served as the legislative coordinator for the National Capital Region of the National Park Service (NPS) since 2014.  During that time, he also served as the regional project manager for the rehabilitation of Arlington House, Robert E. Lee’s historic  home, made possible by a $12.35 million donation from philanthropist David M. Rubenstein.

In his role as site manager of Arlington House from 2010-2014, Bies encouraged groundbreaking programs to tell the story of the home and its inhabitants, including a unique midnight celebration of the sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation. As legislative coordinator he fostered strong relationships in support of national parks in the greater Washington area, including working with Members of Congress to raise awareness of NPS priorities, including critical infrastructure projects such as the rehabilitation of Arlington Memorial Bridge. 

Bies began his NPS work in 2001 as an archeologist at Monocacy National Battlefield. He has served as the cultural resources specialist for George Washington Memorial Parkway and on assignments as the site manager of Great Falls Park and in the NPS headquarters Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs. Bies holds a master’s degree in applied anthropology and bachelor’s degrees in American history and anthropology.