| Boone, NC & Raleigh,
NC – January 2010 – Sue McBean, formerly superintendent
of Haw River State Park, has been named the first superintendent of the
newly authorized Grandfather
Mountain State Park, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.
|  A
superintendent is the chief of operations and administration at a state
park or state recreation area with wide-ranging responsibilities for staffing,
training, law enforcement, visitor services, natural resource protection
and environmental education.
“Sue has done an outstanding job of guiding the development of Haw River State Park, created in 2005. She was directly involved in developing staff and creating a draft master plan and building a close relationship with the local community,” said Lewis Ledford, state parks director. “Her skill and experience will be invaluable as we fashion our newest state park on one of the most beloved landmarks in the state.” Grandfather Mountain State Park was authorized in June following the acquisition of 2,456 acres along the crest of the famous mountain from the Morton family’s Grandfather Mountain Inc., which continues to operate its famous attraction alongside the new state park. The scenic property in Watauga, Avery and Caldwell counties is laced with a 12-mile network of popular hiking trails and a series of remote campsites. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, McBean graduated in 1987 from Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in natural resource management. She worked in seasonal positions for the U.S. Forest Service and for state parks systems in Ohio, South Dakota, Massachusetts, California, Colorado and Alaska before joining North Carolina’s state parks system in 1993. She worked as ranger at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area before being promoted as superintendent at Haw River in June 2006. She holds certifications in environmental education and advanced law enforcement and has been a law enforcement instructor for the division. As the first park superintendent at Grandfather Mountain, McBean will be involved in forming a citizen park advisory committee, hiring initial park staff and developing management plans in conjunction with the Grandfather Mountain attraction staff. Contact:
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