Donald Leadbetter is the Tourism Program Manager for the National Park Service, where he coordinates engagement with the travel and tourism sector and facilitates collaboration in support of destination management and responsible tourism that benefits parks, visitors, and communities. In addition to providing external coordination and representation of the National Park Service at tourism industry forums, trade shows, and meetings, he collaborates with program areas throughout the agency to support tourism-related planning and management in alignment with the mission of the National Park Service.  Donald began his career in the National Park Service in 2011 as a Presidential Management Fellow and member of the Commercial Services Program. After spending time developing tourism management strategies for the Office of Policy, Management, and Budget at the Department of the Interior, he joined the National Park Service’s Centennial Office in 2014, working with partners on a variety of programs and events for the agency’s 2016 centennial. He moved into his current leadership position in 2017.

Prior to joining the National Park Service, Donald spent a decade working on the front lines of the travel and tourism sector, from guiding small group camping trips around the country to crewing on expedition cruise ships around the world. Donald earned a master’s degree in tourism administration from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Memphis. His favorite site in the national park system is Virgin Islands National Park.