Jeffrey Aarnio, ABMC Superintendent Talks Story with Bill Gwaltney and Tim Merriman

A native of southern California, Jeffrey grew up near the Oregon coast among the Douglas Fir trees along the banks of the Columbia River. He is a former superintendent with the American Battle Monuments Commission for nearly 14 years in France and the Philippines, as well as an agency trainer of cultural heritage interpretation.
Past experiences which have shaped the lenses through which he sees the world include wearing the uniform of the U.S. Army as an infantry paratrooper stationed in Vicenza, Italy, and working at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. Jeffrey studied European History at the University of San Francisco, International Policy at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, as well as study abroad programs in Mexico, Morocco, Spain and France. He moved to San Diego in 2018 after walking the Camino de Santiago for the second time.
Jeffrey has edited numerous books including the amazing story of WWI Choctaw code-talker soldiers in France and most recently a book about Holistic Inspirational Interpretation. Prior to joining NPS, Jeffrey was the Office Manager for the 2020 Decennial Census count for San Diego operations. Since April 2021, Jeffrey worked at the Cabrillo National Monument as the Administrative Officer until retirement from federal service in June 2025. Travel, exploration of music in indigenous cultures, and volunteering as a sound healer are some of the many projects Jeffrey explores.

https://timfmerriman.podbean.com/