“I continue to be impressed with the manner in which the Great Smoky Mountains National Park confronts and characterizes present day realities while balancing the costs of ecosystem protection with a variety of visitor services,” Fields said. 

Fields comes to the Smokies from the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana, where he served as chief of interpretation and education. In that capacity, Fields worked to promote public health for low-income residents, delivering K-12 education and providing conservation-related job skills to high school youth and young adults in the New Orleans metropolitan area. 

Originally from the Gulf Coast region of Mississippi and Louisiana, Fields holds a master’s of science in environmental health studies from Tulane University. Before joining the National Park Service, he served as an environmental health scientist in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development. His research there focused on environmental justice, specifically pertaining to the health of children and tribal populations.