Brock Martin has been named the new lead park superintendent at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area in Chatham County, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. Martin succeeds longtime superintendent Shederick Mole.
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. At state recreation areas, the lead superintendent focuses on overall park operations, which is particularly challenging when it includes more than 1,000 campsites and several access areas.
A native of Stokesdale, N.C., Martin received his bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation management from East Carolina University. He has spent his entire 20-year career at Jordan Lake, beginning as an assistant park ranger before quickly obtaining a permanent park ranger position. He has moved up the ranks over the years, while obtaining his intermediate and advanced law enforcement certification, as well as his environmental education and advance interpretive certifications. His other certifications range from wildland firefighting and pesticide management to search and rescue and field sobriety testing.
Martin has also been active in the local community for many years, having coached Little League Baseball for nearly a decade. His team was most recently crowned District 2 champions, which took them to the N.C. State Little League 8U Tournament earlier this month.
“Brock has shown a deep commitment to Jordan Lake and the surrounding community throughout his career as a park ranger and his time mentoring youth as a coach,” said State Parks Deputy Director of Operations Kathy Capps. “Overseeing a park with operations as large and complex as Jordan Lake takes both the leadership and steadfast service that Brock has exhibited well over the years.”
Located 30 miles west of downtown Raleigh, Jordan Lake includes seven access areas that provide plenty of camping, boating, and swimming opportunities. The beautiful lake is one of the largest summertime homes of the bald eagle. The park welcomed a record-breaking 2.5 million visitors in 2023, after becoming the first park to reach 2 million visitors in 2022.
About North Carolina State Parks
North Carolina State Parks manages more than 262,000 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 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.