Veteran Story: Teresa Rivera

Teresa Rivera served in the US Army with pride around the globe on multiple deployments for both tactical and strategic assignments in Military Intelligence, including the National Security Agency (NSA) and as an Instructor at the US Army Intelligence School. She previously worked for the Office of the Secretary of the Interior 2004-2013, and after working at other Federal agencies, returned to DOI to join the National Park Service as the current Chief of Administration for the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

Teresa Rivera

What was your branch of service in the military? US Army

What were your military awards, deployments, and citations?
Deployed to South Korea, Grenada and Panama, awards included the Army Commendation Medal, Soldier of the Year, Citation for Urgent Fury

How did you make the transition from military to the NPS? After serving in the Army, I spent some time in the private sector working for Procter & Gamble (P&G), and then in the non-profit world as an executive with the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). I started my government career with the US Postal Service, then joined the Department of the Interior in 2004. It was a fairly easy transition, but had to learn a whole new set of acronyms!

How does your military experience impact who you are in your NPS career today? My military experience allowed me to gain valuable skills in a variety of areas and be adaptable to change.

How did your military service and skills contribute to your role today with the NPS? It really taught me to have a great work ethic, flexibility, leadership skills, communicate with a diverse workforce, and how to accomplish the mission.