Jerry W. Simpson has served as assistant director of human capital for the National Park Service since July 2006. He has responsibility and authority for human capital management practices within the NPS. Most recently Simpson was the senior analyst for workforce issues in the Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Washington, D.C.

He began his federal career in NASA in 1976, first as a staffing specialist, then a human resources generalist and supervisor.

From 1995 until 2003, he served as director of human resources at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., with responsibility for a broad range of human capital management services, including recruiting and staffing, position classification, benefits and pay, employee and labor relations, workforce planning, training, leadership development, organization development and change management/adoption.

After a management development opportunity at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, Simpson moved to NASA headquarters in 2003 as the senior adviser for human capital to the NASA chief human capital officer.

In 2004 he became senior adviser for workforce and institution to NASA's associate deputy administrator for advanced planning and systems integration. From May 2005 through January 2006, he led a team in developing a long-term workforce study to achieve the Vision for Space Exploration, a multi-decadal mission for NASA to lead the U.S. return to the moon and eventual crewed mission to Mars.

In his new position Simpson will provide direction for the development of strategic workforce plans to include succession planning, recruitment and retention, training and development and the effective utilization of federal employees, concession employees, cooperators, contractors and volunteers.

A native of McCutchenville, Ohio, Simpson earned a bachelor's degree in History from Ohio University in 1974, a master of arts in foreign affairs from the University of Virginia in 1976, and a certificate of advanced study in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 2003. He resides in Laurel, Md.