Press release:
McGraw is new superintendent at Mount Mitchell State Park
RALEIGH, N.C. – Robert McGraw, a veteran ranger, has been named superintendent of Mount Mitchell State Park in Yancey County, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. McGraw succeeds Brian Wilder, who transferred to another position earlier this year.
A superintendent is the chief of operations and administration at a state park or state recreation area with wide-ranging responsibilities for staffing, training, law enforcement, visitor services, natural resource protection, community outreach and environmental education.
A native of Savannah, GA, McGraw graduated from Western Carolina University in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation management. After working as a seasonal employee at Mount Mitchell State Park, he joined the division fulltime in 2009, serving as a ranger at Lake Norman, Mount Mitchell and Gorges state parks. He is a certified environmental educator.
“Robert’s experience at Mount Mitchell and his personal connection to the mountain region will suit him well as he takes on this new role in our oldest state park that is doubling in size with new land acquisitions,” said Mike Murphy, state parks director.
Mount Mitchell State Park was established in 1916 and now encompasses 1,996 acres. It recorded 398,091 visitors in 2016.
About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 231,000 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 18 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, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit ncdcr.gov.
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