Fire Island National Seashore Superintendent Chris Soller Retires

Karl “Chris” Soller, Superintendent of the Fire Island National Seashore for over four decades, retired in March 2018. He served as superintendent for longer than any before him, and he served as the first openly gay superintendent of FINS. Soller’s accomplishments during his 41 years of service include creating a new General Management Plan, Deer Management Plan, Breach Management Plan and Visitor Experience Plan.

Soller is originally from Youngstown, Ohio, and he splits his time between New York and Virginia with his partner of 25 years, Jack Curry. He earned a BA in American Studies from Miami University in Ohio, and his MA in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia. His career started in 1977 as a VISTA volunteer, continuing to start work with NPS in 1978 as an outdoor recreation planner in Washington, D.C.

Soller started working on Fire Island from 1983 to 1988 as a management assistant. His duties included park planning, land use issues, and community relations. He began work as superintendent in 2008 and retired on March 31, 2018.

“I’ve accomplished a lot of milestones,” Soller told Newsday. “One of the reasons I wanted to come back here was . . . I believed there was a different way to manage Fire Island . . . as a dynamic landscape with different managers.”

Fire Island National Seashore assistant superintendent, Kelly Fellner, will take over as superintendent until a permanent replacement is found.

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