Cassius Cash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cassius Cash
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| Born | December 10, 1968 |
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Notable work
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Smokies Hikes for Healing |
| Title | President & CEO of Yosemite Conservancy |
Cassius Cash (born December 10, 1968) is a leader who helps protect America's amazing natural places. He is currently the President & CEO of the Yosemite Conservancy, an organization that supports Yosemite National Park. Before this, he worked for the U.S. government for many years. He was the 16th superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is a huge park in Tennessee and North Carolina.
Mr. Cash started his career working with wildlife in forests. After almost 20 years, he moved to the National Park Service. He also served as the superintendent for Boston National Historical Park and Boston African American National Historic Site. In 2015, he became the first African American superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This park is super popular, with millions of visitors each year!
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Early Life and Education
Cassius Cash was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968. His dad was a police officer, and his mom was a cosmetologist, which means she styled hair.
Mr. Cash became interested in nature by watching a TV show called Wild Kingdom. This show was about animals and nature. He also loved being outdoors with his Boy Scout troop in Memphis. These experiences helped him decide what he wanted to do later in life.
After high school, Cash went to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He earned a degree in biology, which is the study of living things. Later, he studied wildlife management at Oregon State University.
Career in Public Lands
Cassius Cash began his career with the United States Forest Service in 1991. His first job was as a wildlife biologist in Washington State. He spent 18 years with the Forest Service, holding many important leadership roles. He worked in different forests across the country, helping to manage them and protect their natural resources.
In 2010, Mr. Cash joined the National Park Service. He became the superintendent of Boston National Historical Park and Boston African American National Historical Park. During his time in Boston, he helped open a new visitor center in a historic building called Faneuil Hall. This center now welcomes over 5 million visitors every year. He also helped raise money to reopen the African Meeting House, which is a very old Black church.
Cash also worked to combine the histories of the American Revolution and the fight against slavery in Boston. He helped rename the Freedom Trail and Black Heritage Trail to the Boston Trail to Freedom. This helped people understand Boston's full history. By 2015, people recognized that he had made a big positive impact in Boston.
Leading Great Smoky Mountains National Park
In 2015, Cassius Cash became the superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This was a very important role. He managed the park through several big events. These included the terrible Chimney Tops 2 Fire in 2016. He also oversaw the park's celebration of the National Park Service's 100th birthday.
In 2022, Mr. Cash suggested a new idea to help the park. The park's visitors had grown a lot over ten years, but its budget had stayed the same. His idea, called "Park it Forward," asked visitors to buy a parking tag. This money would stay in the park to help with its needs.
The "Park it Forward" program started on March 1, 2023. It was expected to bring in millions of dollars in its first year. This money helps the park keep its trails, facilities, and natural beauty in good shape for everyone to enjoy. Many people, including former Senator Alexander of Tennessee, praised this idea.
Cassius Cash left Great Smoky Mountains National Park in September 2024. He then became the President and CEO of the Yosemite Conservancy in San Francisco.
Awards and Recognition
Cassius Cash has received several awards for his work.
- On May 24, 2021, he received the Agency Leadership Award from the Public Lands Alliance.
- On October 21, 2021, he received the National Park Conservation Association's 2021 Stephen Tyng Mather Award. He earned this award for creating the "Smokies Hikes for Healing" program in 2020. This program helped people connect with nature for their well-being.
