New Chief Ranger Joins Outer Banks Group

Daniel "Boone" Vandzura began his career with the National Park Service in Yellowstone National Park as a fee collector at the South Entrance in the summer of 1994.  After that very first season his love for the lifestyle and America’s wide open spaces encouraged him to pursue further training to become a law enforcement ranger.  His first assignment was a seasonal Yellowstone backcountry ranger and the nickname “Boone” stuck.  He went on to attend the Federal Law Enforcement Academy in 2001 to became a full-time, permanent ranger.

In the fall of 2001 he moved to the scenic Yellowstone Lake District as the dayshift supervisor and in 2005 he was promoted to the Old Faithful Deputy District Ranger.  A few years later he was again promoted and moved back to Yellowstone’s interior Canyon District.  In 2009 he accepted the Emergency Services Director position in the busy front country section of the park and was stationed at Park Headquarters for the past seven years.

While serving for 21 years in one of America’s crown jewel parks, Boone developed a deep commitment to the National Park Service and served several details as Deputy Chief Ranger.  In 2015 Boone came to the Outer Banks Group and served as Acting Chief Ranger in the height of this area’s busy summer months.  He and his family enjoyed their time and he accepted the Chief Ranger position this fall. 

Boone is excited to move his family to the Outer Banks to re-join a great group of Rangers, a great management staff and look forward to the many opportunities of this region of the country.  Boone is married to his wife Jan, and they have 2 children, Elle and Hart, both 11 years old.

Welcome Boone and family!