He was serving as regional director for the Pacific West Region when, on July 10, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Jarvis for the directorship following the resignation of Mary A. Bomar on January 20, 2009, the day of President Obama's inauguration.
A career civil servant, Jarvis has been with the service for over 30 years.[2][3][4] Prior to his work as regional director, Jarvis served for three years as the superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park in Ashford, Washington.
He was superintendent of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Service & Preserve in Alaska during the 1990s.[5]
Jarvis graduated from The College of William & Mary, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, in 1975 with a degree in biology.[5]