Howard Levitt recently retired from the National Park Service after a 30-year career focused on connecting people to their parks. As the Chief of Education and Interpretation at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and later Director of Communications and Partnerships, he led efforts to incorporate artistic expression into the experience of millions of park visitors.

These non-traditional art-in-the parks offerings, since emulated in parks throughout the country, included the pioneering residency of We Players at venues throughout the park. Other major art installations including Ai Weiwei@Alcatraz, Mark Di Suvero at Crissy Field, Home Land Security at the Presidio, International Orange at Fort Point, and Table of Voices at Alcatraz, and dance performances such as “Invisible Wings” by the Zaccho Dance Company.

In addition to his time at Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Howard served as acting Superintendent at two other Bay Area national park areas: Rosie the Riveter/World War II Homefront National Historical Park, and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

Howard enjoys boating on whitewater rivers throughout the West, exploring the urban landscape on foot, and road cycling on remote roads all over the world.

Howard holds a degree in Political Science from UC Berkeley. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, Wendy Scheffers, who is on the faculty of the Special Education Department at San Francisco State University.