Mary-Amanda (Mandy) Harmon joined the staff at Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site as an interpretive park guide on April 4, 2018. While Mandy may be new to Kiowa County, she’s no stranger to working at national park sites. Prior to joining the park team at Sand Creek, Mandy has worked over 8 years as an interpretive park guide for the National Park Service.

Mandy’s experience has taken her to such diverse parks as Manzanar National Historic Site in California, Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Cape Lookout and Orcacoke Lighthouses) along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska.

This is Mandy’s first permanent job working for the National Park Service. “Working at Manzanar was my first introduction to interpreting stories about Americans whose civil rights were taken from them,” says Mandy, adding “and both Chaco Canyon and Glacier Bay provided experience interpreting native cultures.”

Mandy, who holds a degree in history from George Mason University, in Virginia, has already begun settling into Eads and to her new duties at the park. With the busy summer season just around the corner, Mandy’s knowledge and skills will go a long way in helping visitors fully experience and appreciate their national parks.