Crystal Lloyd, a nine-year employee of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, will join David Mumford as superintendent at Falls Lake State Recreation Area in Wake Forest. Mumford moved into the lead superintendent position last year when Kristen Woodruff was promoted to superintendent for the state parks’ north district.
A superintendent is the chief of operations and administration at a state park or recreation area and has wide-ranging responsibilities for staffing, training, law enforcement, visitor services, natural resource protection, community outreach and environmental education. Lloyd’s position will be focused on managing park staff.
Falls Lake State Recreation Area is a collective of seven access areas around the shoreline of a 12,000-acre reservoir in the Triangle. It hosts more than 300 campsites, five swim beaches, boating ramps and mountain biking trails. The Mountains-to-Sea State Trail winds through parts of the recreation area and is a centerpiece of a network of hiking trails.
A native of Creedmoor, Lloyd graduated from N.C. State in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in parks, recreation and tourism management. Her career began with the Division of Parks and Recreation prior to college, however, as an entrance station worker at Falls Lake in 2006. In her early days with state parks, she also served as a park tech at Falls Lake and an office assistant at William B. Umstead. She started her first job as a ranger at Falls Lake in 2015.
“Crystal’s exemplary work at Falls Lake and familiarity with our parks system as a whole will be a great asset as she takes on this leadership role at this busy recreation area,” said Dwayne Patterson, director of state parks. “Having served the park system at every level, Crystal understands the challenges and needs of all park staff, and this will make her an outstanding leader.”
In addition to her work on the ground, Lloyd also hosts the “Ask a Ranger Podcast” with her colleague, Superintendent Jess Smith. The educational podcast explores the daily work of rangers and delves into history, culture and societal issues.
Lloyd is preparing for a challenging year in her new role at the park. She expects continued high visitation in the coming year and hopes to find balance with recreation and standing up for the park’s natural and human resources alike. “I’m most looking forward to being a voice for the field staff and advocating for their needs. In the challenging times we are in, delivering what the parks need to serve the public is important.”