Photo by J. Stern / Friends of Sauratown Mountains
Matt Windsor is the new park superintendent at Goose Creek State Park in Beaufort County, according to the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. Windsor succeeds Doug Lequire, who retired in May.
Park superintendents lead operations and administration at a park and have wide-ranging responsibilities that include staffing, training, law enforcement, planning, resource management, interpretation and education, and visitor services.
Hailing from Tobaccoville, NC, Windsor has a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University in parks and recreation management, with a concentration in natural resource management and a minor in environmental science. He first joined the division in a permanent role in 1998, after doing previous stints as a seasonal employee at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area and Hemlock Bluffs State Natural Area (which now operates as Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve under the jurisdiction of the town of Cary).
Windsor has been a park ranger at Fort Macon, Hanging Rock, and Jockey's Ridge state parks, as well as park superintendent at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. But the majority of his state parks career was the nearly 14 years as superintendent at Pilot Mountain State Park, just 10 miles northwest of his hometown. He helped establish the park's prescribed fire program, which has proven to be critical in helping mitigate impacts of wildfires on the iconic landscape.
Windsor has also been active in various division-wide teams and committees, helping lead his peers in critical incident stress management, fire management, and medical review. He most recently served as a park ranger at Hammocks Beach State Park, where he has represented the division on the North Carolina Coastal Federation's Interagency Living Shoreline Steering Committee. He is certified as a burn boss and an emergency medical technician.
"Matt's many years of experience as park superintendent at some of our busiest state parks, his familiarity with several coastal parks, and his wide array of skills and expertise made him an ideal candidate to lead Goose Creek," said State Parks Director Brian Strong. "The park has long been treasured by the local community, and the recent addition of the RV campground and camper cabins has raised its profile as a recreation destination on the coast."
Located 35 miles southeast of Greenville, Goose Creek State Park offers a broad range of coastal experiences, from wetlands along the Pamlico River to a cypress swamp viewed from a long boardwalk. Remnants of boat piers, a trackless railroad bed, and burnt remains of tar kilns provide a glimpse of the heyday of a lumber industry that was once the center of life in the area. The park's estuarine habitats can be explored on foot or by paddling the Pamlico River.
About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 250,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina's state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 19 million visitors annually.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina — its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the North Carolina Symphony, the State Library, the State Archives, the North Carolina Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the North Carolina Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, visit ncdcr.gov.