RALEIGH, N.C. — Jason Anthony is the new superintendent of Pilot Mountain State Park, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. Anthony succeeds Matt Windsor, who served as park superintendent since 2008 and moved to Hammocks Beach State Park in 2021. Park rangers Nick Bowman and Carla Williams served as acting superintendents during the interim.
A park superintendent leads operations and administration of a park with wide-ranging responsibilities including staffing, planning, environmental education, natural resources management, law enforcement and visitor services.
Anthony began his career with the division in 1998 as a seasonal employee at Fort Macon State Park, where he worked summers through college and later as a park attendant. He graduated from Toccoa Falls College in northeast Georgia with a bachelor's degree in English and minor in history in 2002. He was hired as a park ranger at Hanging Rock State Park in 2003.
During his time at Hanging Rock, Anthony supervised the lake swim area and served as lead law enforcement and boundary management ranger. He also served the division as a certified CPR instructor since 2016.
“Jason is known across the state parks system as one of our most knowledgeable and well-rounded rangers,” said North District Superintendent Kristen Woodruff. “As superintendent, his familiarity with the Sauratown Mountains, park operations of a highly-visited park and his demonstrated leadership will make for an easy transition and great new leadership for Pilot Mountain State Park.”
Pilot Mountain State Park is located in Surry and Yadkin counties, 20 miles northwest of Winston-Salem. It centers around the iconic geologic knob that serves as a beacon to the surrounding Piedmont, inviting outdoor enthusiasts to a vast array of activities. Once a navigational landmark for the Saura tribe, the Big Pinnacle can be viewed from the park's summit area, which also offers panoramic views of the Piedmont and the Sauratown and Blue Ridge mountains.
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 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 19.8 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, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, and the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please visit www.ncdcr.gov.