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Joan Anzelmo a native of Washington, D.C., a graduate of the University of Maryland, and a 35 year career public servant with the National Park Service (NPS) has just announced her plans to retire on July 1, from her position as Superintendent of Colorado National Monument where she has served since May 2007.

Anzelmo has previously served in senior agency spokesperson roles at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, at the National Interagency Fire Center (BLM) in Boise, Idaho and for the NPS Director in Washington, D.C. Other earlier assignments included Park Manager at Great Falls Park in Virginia and Visitor Services Chief at the National Visitor Center in Washington, D.C., where she began her National Park Service career in 1976.

Anzelmo was the National Park Service spokesperson throughout the now historic 1988 Yellowstone Fires in an era before the internet and cell phones. She worked around the clock to assist many hundreds of news media arriving from around the globe to cover the fires throughout that long summer. Through that work she became a nationally acknowledged expert in crisis communications and subsequently has been dispatched to some of the country's most complex wildland fire situations and other national emergencies. Last May (2010) she was assigned to the Unified Area Command for the National Park Service in response to the BP Oil Spill and was based in Robert, LA.

During her tenure, Anzelmo became a trusted advisor to many senior officials across multiple Administrations helping prepare them to conduct national news interviews, press conferences and deliver public statements during national emergencies.
Anzelmo has assisted with planning and coordination for multiple presidential visits to various national parks throughout the Unites States for every President of her federal tenure including directly briefing several Presidents during their visits.

Throughout her public affairs career she worked tirelessly to provide information for the public and the news media including during extreme emergencies and in controversial situations, always advocating for the public's right to know. In 2006 Anzelmo challenged the agency for its sudden unexplained decision to withhold names of individuals who parks assisted through search and rescues or who were involved in serious accidents or fatalities that required NPS emergency response. This was a departure from previous well established policy and was causing confusion in numerous communities. As a result of her initiative the agency's Director issued new policy to clarify the release of names and to this day parks reference this policy.