news-record.com

Kelley Thompson has been named superintendent of Haw River State Park in Guilford and Rockingham counties, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced today.

She succeeds Susan McBean, who became superintendent of Grandfather Mountain State Park earlier this year.

At the new Haw River State Park, Thompson will be responsible for operating the state parks system’s first residential environmental education center and for managing the development of traditional state park facilities guided by a new master plan.

A native of Knoxville, Tenn., Thompson was raised in Chapel Hill and graduated in 1990 from Western Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in natural resource management.

She joined the state parks system in 1994 as a ranger at Jockey’s Ridge State Park and later served at Jones Lake State Park as a senior ranger in charge of interpretive and education programming. She was promoted to superintendent at Goose Creek State Park in December 2004.

Haw River State Park was authorized by the General Assembly in 2003 and now encompasses 1,334 acres, including the campus of the environmental education center.