Overview
- White House officials sent Socha’s nomination to the Senate this week, and he must be confirmed before he can take the job.
- Socha has worked at Delaware North since 1999 and leads its parks and resorts division, which holds contracts at Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Shenandoah.
- Delaware North’s years-long Yosemite trademark dispute with the Park Service was settled in 2019, a history likely to figure in conflict-of-interest reviews.
- A company spokesperson says Socha will remain in his Delaware North role during the review, as senators and ethics officials consider potential recusals.
- Advocacy groups split on the pick, with conservation organizations warning about privatization and lack of public-lands experience while the NPCA signals conditional cooperation.