Van Buren, MO – Until the permanent arrival of Superintendent William N. Black, Clara Wooden, Associate Regional Director of Equal Employment Opportunity and Recruitment in the Midwest Regional Office in Omaha will serve as the interim superintendent of Ozark National Scenic Riverways for 30 days beginning Monday, June 18th.

National Park Service photo

“I’m eager to experience Ozark National Scenic Riverways and meet the park staff and partners who have a love and passion for its special resources,” states Wooden.

Clara has over twenty years of service with the National Park Service. She began her career in the Regional Human Resource Office in Anchorage, Alaska. During her years of service, she has worked in the areas of budget formulation, Human Resources policies and procedures, as a Park Ranger in Aviation, Fire, Safety, Occupational Health, Law Enforcement, and Telecommunications. She developed the Recreational Fee Program in Alaska and managed youth programs merging it with the region’s workforce diversity strategy to recruit and grow National Park Service employees.

Wooden is married, a mother of two daughters, and has three grandsons.