Kevin Tillman, chief ranger of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area in Montana and Wyoming, has been named superintendent of Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in southern New Mexico. Tillman, a 27-year veteran of the National Park Service (NPS), served as acting superintendent at Gila Cliff Dwellings from February to June of this year. He will assume his new post the week of Nov. 12.

"Kevin's years of experience in a variety of Park Service locations across the country will serve him well in managing one of America's very first national monuments," said Kate Hammond, acting director of the NPS's Intermountain Region, which includes New Mexico. "We value Kevin's management insight as he supports the Gila Cliff Dwellings staff and partners in caring for the monument and its archeological wonders of the Mogollon culture."

"I am honored to be returning to Gila Cliff Dwellings to work as superintendent again with our monument staff," Tillman said. "I look forward to continued cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and our other partners, including Silver City, Mimbres, Bayard and the other local communities of the area, as well as Western New Mexico University."

Tillman, who grew up in the Denver area, began his NPS career in 1991 as a seasonal law enforcement ranger at Yosemite National Park. After a second season at Grand Canyon National Park, he took his first permanent assignment as a law enforcement ranger in 1993 at Fort Laramie National Historic Site in Wyoming. He later served at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Joshua Tree National Park and Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. In 2011, Tillman transferred to Bighorn Canyon as chief ranger. Tillman also served as acting deputy chief ranger of Yellowstone National Park in 2014 and acting deputy chief of operations in 2012 for the Park Service's Law Enforcement Security & Emergency Services branch in Washington, DC.

Tillman is a 2015 graduate of the GOAL Academy, the NPS's leadership and management training program. He holds a bachelor's degree from Northland College.

Tillman will move to New Mexico with his wife, Christiann, and son, Cole. They also have two grown sons, Clayton and Adam.