Superintendent of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Gauley River National Recreation Area and Bluestone National Scenic River in West Virginia. He grew up in the Appalachian Mountains, and his career with national parks spans nearly 40 years. Now he is leading America’s newest national park.
Courtesy of Charles Sellars
You and your wife Pam have raised your children in some beautiful spots in the nation. What do you all love doing? Special moments?
We are fortunate to have lived in and around many units of the National Park Service. Through the years, we gradually moved from camping in Forest Service and Park Service campgrounds to spending time at amusement parks. More recently our time has revolved around high school activities for our two children. I’m the epitome of a national park employee, always dragging my family to visit another national park. My son and I recently traveled to Ireland and Scotland, and I got a wonderful opportunity to see how other countries manage their national parks. It was great to spend this time building memories with him.
You grew up in the Appalachian Mountains, starting your career as a temp engineering technician, and now you lead America’s newest national park. Share your journey with us.
I spent 15 years working at the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was hard to leave there and hard to leave my hometown—Clyde, North Carolina. Making all the moves through the years and working in facility management set me up well to step into the role of superintendent of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. I’ve had wonderful experiences, working at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, running a National Cemetery at Andersonville National Historic Site, and taking care of President Jimmy Carter’s home in Plains, Georgia. Pam and I both worked at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. New River is the icing on the cake!
New River Gorge is “rocking” with record numbers of visitors. What is boosting this energetic growth?
Since Congress redesignated New River Gorge National River as New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in 2021, we have seen a steady increase in visitation, with 2023 being a record year. We expect this to continue. Of course, I see the park as a jewel, but recognition like National Geographic’s recent “Best of the World” Top 20 Travel Experiences helps get the word out about how spectacular this region truly is. The local community rallied to get the redesignation, making New River Gorge a destination for not only whitewater rafting, but rock-climbing, mountain biking and hiking.
Amtrak routes running through national parks are rare. What’s on the horizon for Amtrak at New River Gorge?
We are hopeful the Amtrak Cardinal route through New River Gorge increases to seven-day service. This brings another way for our visitors to enjoy the park on day trips along the 53 miles of rail that run through it. We’ll have park rangers and volunteers on trains to orient passengers to the park and region.
What do you enjoy most since becoming superintendent in 2023?
I love all of it—the whole package! I thrive on the fast pace and diversity of opportunities all going on at the same time. The Great American Outdoors Act is allowing the park to complete improvements to our restrooms, camping, trails and much-needed road repairs. We plan to restore areas abandoned after mining operations, and are wrapping up renovations to Canyon Rim Visitor Center.
We’re partnering with West Virginia to build a new parking lot at a beautiful vista: Endless Wall, one of the park’s most popular areas. Our wonderful partners work closely with the park—such as Friends of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and our gateway communities. Together, they make this a place that everyone wants to come visit.
The story above first appeared in our May / June 2024 issue. For more like it subscribe today or log in with your active BRC+ Membership. Thank you for your support!