Maggie Miller has been promoted to a park superintendent at Hanging Rock State Park in Stokes County, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced. This new position was created to meet the needs of the park’s growing operations with the acquisition and development of Vade Mecum. She joins Robin Riddlebarger, the lead superintendent.
Park superintendents manage 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. Hanging Rock is the first state park that has a dual superintendent structure, modeled after how state recreation areas are organized. Miller’s role will focus on managing the growing staff of the state park.
A native of Kansas, Miller earned her bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental studies from Eckerd College in Florida. She first became a park ranger for Florida State Parks, before moving to North Carolina. She worked at Pilot Mountain and Morrow Mountain state parks before joining the Hanging Rock team.
Miller is a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Associate for Interpretation and is also certified as a North Carolina Environmental Educator by the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education, training staff and other trainers in providing educational programs, like Box Turtle Connection, for the public. She has been involved in the division’s Interpretation and Education Council, serving as council chair and establishing the first annual summit. She also holds a Master Naturalist Certification as well as intermediate and advanced law enforcement certificates, and she teaches CPR to her colleagues.
“Maggie’s experience, ambition, and leadership skills make her the perfect person to take on this newly created role,” said State Parks Director Brian Strong. “She has demonstrated not only her dedication to Hanging Rock but also her commitment to supporting the entire division.”
Hanging Rock State Park, located north of Winston-Salem, is known for its towering cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and nearly 8,000 acres of preserved natural beauty. The park offers 20 miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, a lake for swimming and boating, and a family campground. It is a premier destination for both outdoor recreation and environmental education in the Piedmont region.
About Hanging Rock State Park
Hanging Rock State Park, located north of Winston-Salem, is known for its towering cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and nearly 8,000 acres of preserved natural beauty. The park offers 20 miles of hiking trails, rock climbing, a lake for swimming and boating, and a family campground. It is a premier destination for both outdoor recreation and environmental education in the Piedmont region.
About the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
The Division of Parks and Recreation manages more than 264,000 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, education, and recreation. The state parks system welcomes more than 19 million visitors annually.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) 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 State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. 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 N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.