Jeff Jones has been named superintendent of Stone Mountain State Park in Wilkes and Allegheny counties, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. Jones succeeds Bill Meyer, who recently retired after 31 years of service to the division. Jones has served as acting superintendent at Stone Mountain State Park since Bill Meyer’s retirement in December 2018.
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 Laurel Springs, Jeff made many visits to Stone Mountain during his childhood. He graduated from Mount Olive College with a degree in Recreation and Leisure and later started as a seasonal employee at New River State Park. Since then, he has gained 17 years of experience as a park ranger at Merchants Millpond and Stone Mountain state parks. Prior to serving state parks, Jeff was a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper.
“Jeff brings an invaluable familiarity with Stone Mountain State Park and surrounding communities that will be a great advantage in managing the park,” said Dwayne Patterson, state parks director. “His skills and wisdom from extensive experience in parks across the state and particularly in the mountain region will be great assets for the park and its visitors.”
Stone Mountain State Park was established in 1969 and now encompasses 14,210 acres. It recorded 419,202 visitors in 2018. Stone Mountain is also a National Natural Landmark.