Allen Williford has been named superintendent of Medoc Mountain State Park in Halifax County, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.
A state park superintendent manages the operations and administration of a park and has wide-ranging responsibilities, including staffing, planning, environmental education, natural resources management, law enforcement, and visitor services. Williford succeeds Kelley King, who retired last spring.
Williford began his career in textiles and moved into industrial engineering. Having studied criminal justice at Wayne Community College and still interested in law enforcement, he decided to leave engineering to complete Basic Law Enforcement Training. Williford then joined the Emerald Isle Police Department, before serving as a fisheries officer for the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries and finally joining N.C. State Parks as a ranger at Kerr Lake State Recreation Area, where he served until recently.
Williford grew up near Goldsboro and studied at both Wayne Community College and South Georgia State College. He looks forward to leading Medoc Mountain State Park. "I will work to support the high standard that Medoc Mountain currently maintains," he said.
As Halifax County pursues more opportunities for recreation and health for its residents, North District Superintendent Kristen Woodruff looks forward to Williford's leadership to improve connections between the state park and the community's initiatives. "Allen's career has demonstrated that he is an outstanding leader and park ranger. I look forward to the new energy he will bring to Medoc Mountain and surrounding communities," she said.
Located in Halifax County 30 miles northwest of Rocky Mount, Medoc Mountain State Park stands on the 325-foot remnant of a once-mighty mountain range. The park offers picnicking in an open meadow, fishing on Little Fishing Creek, and traversing the undulating trails on foot, bike, or horse. Uncommon species such as Lewis' heartleaf and the Neuse River waterdog call the park home.
About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 258,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina's state parks, state recreation areas, and state natural areas. It administers the N.C. 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 22.7 million visitors annually.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational, and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries, and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state's history, conserving the state's natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, three science museums, three aquariums and Jennette's Pier, 41 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the N.C. Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, and the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please visit ncdcr.gov.