Executive for Research Services

Chris Naylor

Chris Naylor was appointed as Executive for Research Services in April 2022.  In this role, he leads Research Services staff across the country, who provide world class services to researchers and members of the public. Research Services staff facilitate access to the permanent records of federal agencies and courts at the National Archives, and preserve archival holdings for the benefit of future generations. Chris is responsible for Research Services’ primary mission of accessioning, processing, describing, preserving, and providing access to the permanently valuable federal records held by the National Archives and Records Administration.

Chris brings over 20 years of federal government service to this position. He began his career at NARA in May 2000 as an archives technician and has worked in a number of archival and management positions, including Chief of Textual Processing and Director of the Textual Records Division in Research Services. He served as NARA’s Deputy Chief Operating Officer for five years, helping coordinate agency operational responsibilities nationwide in support of NARA's strategic goals. He was appointed Deputy for Archival Operations in Research Services in July 2021 and served as the Acting Executive for Research Services between November 2021 and April 2022.

Chris holds B.A. degrees in History and German, and a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park.