Mike Tollefson who has been the Superintendent of Yosemite for the last 6 years is stepping down to become president of the Yosemite Fund, a nonprofit agency that raises money for the park. Tollefson has been the instrumental force in accomplishing a number of the improvements you see in the park and will be a hard man to replace.
SFGate: “Tollefson, 61, has worked for the Park Service for 36 years and has been superintendent of Yosemite since 2002, the longest tenure of the top manager at the park in more than 40 years.
Yosemite, considered one of the premier national parks in the world, has been the focus of public interest and political pressure for years, and the superintendent has often been in the eye of controversies over the future and direction of the park.
The previous two superintendents left Yosemite under unusual circumstances. David Mihalic, Tollefson’s predecessor, retired from the Park Service after he was offered – and refused – reassignment to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Stanley Albright, the superintendent before Mihalic, retired under pressure from Bruce Babbitt, secretary of the interior in the Clinton administration.
Tollefson, however, has had much more success as the top manager in Yosemite. During his administration, several projects were completed, including new viewing facilities at the foot of Yosemite Falls and improvements to landmark areas such as the famous view spots near the Wawona Tunnel and at Olmsted Point on the Tioga Road.
In addition, the visitor center in the valley was overhauled, and the Park Service obtained hybrid buses for visitors to replace a fleet of diesel buses that spewed smoke and fumes.
Many of the improvements were paid for by the Yosemite Fund, which raised more than $15 million in donations over three years. The Yosemite Fund also raised $13.5 million for trail work at the Mariposa Grove of big trees, as well as in Yosemite Valley and in the park’s spectacular backcountry.
Hansen, who headed the fund for more than 20 years, was a key figure in the organization’s fundraising activities. During his term, the fund raised more than $45 million for 200 Yosemite Park projects not funded by the government.
‘He really put the Yosemite Fund on the map,’ Tollefson said.
Tollefson said the Yosemite Fund job was a great opportunity, and that he had been thinking about retiring for some months. ‘I’ll be 62 this winter,’ he said. ‘It’s time.’”