The wife of the former head of Yosemite National Park, who retired amid an investigation into allegations of mismanagement, has also announced her retirement from a top park service job.
In an email sent to National Park Service and obtained Monday by the Los Angeles Times and McClatchy newspapers, Patty Neubacher announced her retirement as deputy regional director for the Pacific West Region, which covers 56 national parks in six states.
"This is not the timing that I'd ever envisioned for retiring, but sometimes life takes an abrupt turn," Neubacher stated. "And, so it is for me."
Patty Neubacher has been a park service employee for more than 33 years. She said she will retire at the end of the month. The full email can be read on the LA Times website.
She is the wife of Don Neubacher, who last week announced he was stepping down after employees complained that he created a hostile workplace by allowing bullying, harassment and other misconduct.
Don Neubacher's decision to retire came less than a week after a congressional oversight committee said at least 18 Yosemite staffers had complained of a toxic work environment.
The hearing also spotlighted wider allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and other misconduct among employees at Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Canaveral National Seashore in Florida.
Don Neubacher said in an email to Yosemite employees that regional administrators had decided it was time for new leadership and offered to transfer him to Denver as a senior adviser but he decided to retire rather than be reassigned.
