Jonathan Putnam, former Acting Chief, NPS Office of International Affairs

Jonathan (Jon) Putnam retired from the National Park Service (NPS) in 2025 after over 30 years of federal service, including over 20 years with the NPS Office of International Affairs (OIA).   At OIA, Jon served in a variety of positions, including World Heritage program officer, Western Hemisphere coordinator, and as Acting Chief in his last year; he has worked on conservation projects in over 30 countries.    

Jon began his career with the NPS as a park ranger at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado, with later ranger and natural resource management positions at Katmai National Park (Alaska) and Fire Island National Seashore (New York). He has worked on migratory species conservation with the NPS Biological Resources Management Division and served as the Acting Chief of Resources at St. Croix National Scenic Riverway in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  

Jon also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Eswatini, southern Africa, working on parks and wildlife conservation projects, and as an environmental specialist with the U.S. Agency for International Development.  He also served three years with the US Army National Guard. 

Jon has a B.A. from Amherst College and an M.S. from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. 

In retirement, Jon continues his conservation work, including as the United States focal point for the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), on the US Biosphere Network Steering Committee, on the Board of Conservation Volunteers International Program and on local projects in his community.