Valley Forge national park has a new superintendent

Valley Forge National Historical Park has a new superintendent.

The National Park Service announced Thursday that Kate Hammond, now the superintendent of Little Bighorn Battlefield National Historic Site in Montana, will supervise Valley Forge as well as the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in Elverson.

Her new assignment starts in early March.

Hammond replaces Mike Caldwell, who was named deputy regional director of the National Park Service Northeast Region last year.

"Kate's experience at Little Bighorn Battlefield has demonstrated her skill at bringing partners together to work toward a common vision," said Northeast Regional Director Dennis R. Reidenbach.

"Valley Forge is an iconic and special place that continues to inspire Americans. I am honored and thrilled at the opportunity to work with park staff, park partners, volunteers, and the local communities around Valley Forge to . . . improve the visitor experience," Hammond said.

Hammond has supervised the Little Bighorn Battlefield since 2009. Her work ensured that the park's nationally significant 150,000-item museum collection was preserved.

She also oversaw the development of a new interpretive film, and cultural and natural resource documentation.

Before joining the park service, Hammond was a Peace Corps volunteer in Argentina, where she managed the interpretive program at El Palmar National Park.

Hammond is a native of Massachusetts. She has a bachelor's degree in history and environmental studies from Yale University, and a master's degree in environmental management from the Yale School of Forestry. She and her husband, Geoff, have two young children.