Amid a time of historic change for the National Park Service, Gateway Arch National Park welcomed a new leader this summer: native St. Louisan David Murray. Returning home to serve within the community that shaped him, Murray brings a wealth of experience, a steady resolve, and a heartfelt commitment to preserving the stories and spaces that make this park so meaningful for visitors and residents alike. His leadership arrives at just the right time, ensuring our treasured hometown national park continues to thrive for generations to come.

We asked Murray how he feels, having been in his role these past few months: “I think it’s all a bit surreal right now for [my family],” said Murray, “Never in my life did I think I would be working at this park, let alone leading it. So, I’m taking it in stride, and very humbly embracing the role and its responsibility to preserve this park’s incredibly powerful stories.” 

And humble he is. Murray has vast experience working within federal and local government entities. From roles on The Hill to directing budgets and staff for the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Chicago Transit Authority, Murray’s experience working within federal and local government entities positions him perfectly to take on this leadership role dedicated to Gateway Arch National Park. 

Murray came to the National Park Service in 2020 as the Service’s budget officer and had an opportunity to become a remotely stationed chief of staff of NPS’ Land Resources Division, allowing him to move back to his hometown in 2021. 

From there, it was fate. When all U.S. Department of the Interior staff returned to work in-person in May 2025, Murray was stationed at the Old Courthouse just as his superintendent predecessor announced his departure. Soon after, Murray got a call from regional leadership, asking him to consider taking on the role as acting superintendent. It was an opportunity he could not resist, and he enthusiastically assumed the position. Murray became the permanent superintendent in July 2025. 

“I’ve spent five years in the National Park Service, which is both a lot of time and not a lot of time for a bureau with such rich history,” said Murray. “I’ve had some incredible opportunities, met many of the leaders of the park service, and I have a lot of people that are supportive of me and my development. I feel really grateful.” 

Continuing a Legacy with Eyes on the Future 

With the massive CityArchRiver Project officially completed after the grand reopening of the Old Courthouse earlier this year, Murray has used his time to get to know staff, learn from visitors, and connect with Arch Alliance partners as he looks toward the next big park projects on the horizon. For now, he’s continuing the legacy of his predecessors. 

“The CityArchRiver Project renovations were exciting, and we already have additional federal funding from the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund,” explained Murray, “I want to see that next phase of the Old Courthouse updates completed as it will only build upon the massive effort that’s already been underway for more than a decade.” 

Murray also acknowledges that there have been a lot of shifts in the federal government lately, which is why he’s taking it slow and not introducing too much change too quickly. 

“There are other goals that I can speak to in the future, but I’m still determining the timing of it all,” he said. “Right now, providing as much stability as possible for our park and our staff is critical to me.” 

Murray is also a St. Louisan at his core. He wants visitors’ and residents’ experience at the park to instill a sense of pride in our city and our country. He wants them to share their positive stories about St. Louis with others so they’ll keep coming back time and time again. 

“I am a St. Louisan at heart,” explained Murray. “That influences every decision I’m making here, and I’ll continue to emphasize that as we move forward. This is our park. This is the park I grew up with. Everything I’m going to do is for the people of St. Louis.” 

A Strong Commitment to Partnership 

In just a few short months, Murray has recognized the value of the Arch Alliance partnerships to help further the mission of the park and the National Park Service through collaboration and creative solutions. 

“Gateway Arch National Park is unique in these partnerships that we have,” said Murray. “I don’t think many parks have four major partners affiliated with them. Here, we have some of the biggest players in the St. Louis area working hand-in-hand with us. Whenever we, as a federal agency, have encountered a challenge, all our partners are here asking, ‘What can we do to help?’ That’s just incredible.” 

On Gateway Arch Park Foundation, Murray has been impressed with the work that’s been accomplished so far. Between recent projects like renovations at the Old Courthouse to free community events on park grounds, he sees that the Foundation is willing and able to do things the National Park Service can’t do alone as a federal agency. 

When asked about what’s next for the park’s partnership with the Foundation, Murray said, “The Foundation and I are already looking at new opportunities.” 

The two organizations did not miss a beat during Murray’s transition into his role. Since Murray’s first day, Foundation Executive Director Ryan McClure and Murray have met regularly to discuss park priorities and new ideas that will advance the mission of both their organizations. 

“I’ve seen the Foundation is willing to adapt as the park continues to evolve,” Murray said. “So this partnership is not static. I like that there’s a dynamic element to what our relationship looks like. I’ve really enjoyed the development of the partnership between myself, Ryan, and the Foundation staff.” 

The Foundation looks forward to working with Murray to strengthen our relationship and uplift our hometown national park.