About me
Raised in the farmlands of Southeast Texas, David and his two younger siblings were raised by his parents under the values of faith, family, and country. In addition, taking on causes greater than themselves.
His life’s calling was determined on a family trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in the early 1970s. It would be his first trip to a national park, and would later result in a thirty-eight-year career in public service. Upon graduating from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation and Parks, David obtained his first permanent assignment in the National Park Service (NPS) at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.
Based on his early park visits he later realized his dream of becoming a National Park Service law enforcement ranger. During his thirty years in the NPS, he led efforts to protect our nation’s most special places while engaging youth and underserved communities across the country. His executive and leadership assignments in the NPS included serving as Associate Director for Workforce, Relevancy and Inclusion, Regional Director of the Southeast Region, and Superintendent of four national park units including Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. He also spent seven years with the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, and was appointed by the Attorney General to serve as Director of the Texas Child Support program.
David was the first Latino to be nominated by the President of the United States to serve as Director of the National Park Service and went through the confirmation process in the United States Senate. Prior to his retirement in September 2020, he served as Deputy Director, Exercising the Authority of the Director. He also served as Chair for the Committee for the Preservation of the White House. David is the recipient of numerous national awards both within and outside of the National Park Service for leadership and performance excellence.
In retirement, he serves on a number of national nonprofit boards and is a national motivational and public speaker inspiring the next generation of diverse conservation stewards, advocates, and public servants. David is also the founder and president of Vela Heritage Consulting, LLC where he provides leadership guidance and consults with protected area leaders across the country and in the Middle East. He is the author of Hola Ranger, My Journey Through The National Parks, which captures his life experiences growing up in Southeast Texas and the people he met along his journey in protecting and managing our nation’s most special places. He and his wife Melissa have two children Christina and Anthony and eight grandchildren.
