Harry Reid: “I rise today to honor a fine public servant, great Nevadan, and friend, Ms. Becky Mills. On May 3, 2002, after nearly 25…”

“I rise today to honor a fine public servant, great Nevadan, and friend, Ms. Becky Mills. On May 3, 2002, after nearly 25 years of employment with the National Park Service, Becky retired from her position as Superintendent of Great Basin National Park. Becky Mills learned to love the great outdoors as a young child. Her grandfather took her on camping and fishing trips to Yosemite, where she interacted with Park Rangers around the campfire, and her participation in the Girl Scouts allowed her to explore more national parks: Yellowstone, Sequoia/Kings Canyon, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Lake Mead, and others. Her lifelong interest in nature contributed to her decision to dedicate her life to protecting the environment. While hiking to the Mount Everest Base Camp in the Himalayas in the fall of 1976, Becky decided to change careers so her professional life would match her personal commitment to the environment. Becky joined the National Park Service in May of 1978 as Regional Chief of Youth Programs for the Pacific West Region. Her decision proved to be beneficial for the Park Service and, ultimately, for Nevada. In 1995 Becky was appointed Superintendent of Great Basin National Park in Nevada. In this capacity, she worked to protect and enhance the natural and cultural resources of the park and the surrounding lands and community.”