Press Releases

The discovery of a 17-pound gold nugget by Conrad Reed in 1799 is America’s first documented gold discovery. His discovery and his father John’s development of the mine are celebrated. Little notice is given to his mother, Sarah Kiser Reed, or other women during the gold rush period.

Before the other colonies followed suit in July, the North Carolina Provincial Congress issued the Halifax Resolves on April 12, 1776, voting to separate from the British Crown. The approaching Halifax Resolves Day observance at Historic Halifax, April 12, will begin a free two-day celebration to commemorate North Carolina's stand as the first colony to call for independence!  

Students at the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions of Higher Education can apply to participate in a 10-week paid summer internship within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.   

The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) has announced that Maylon White has been chosen as director for the North Carolina Aquariums Division. White will take over the role on March 4, 2019, and follows the departure of David Griffin, who retired in January after leading the division for 16 years.  

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. 

Two months before ratification of the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote, Lillian Exum Clement was nominated by Buncombe County democrats to serve in the State House. She overwhelmingly defeated two male opponents in the primary and took her seat Jan. 5, 1921. She was the first woman in the South to hold legislative office and will be honored during tours celebrating March as Women’s History Month at the North Carolina State Capitol.

Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site in Southport is currently open to visitors, with regular events and programming scheduled to resume in the spring. The site’s visitors center, which sustained damage during Hurricane Florence, remains closed until repairs to the building can be completed.

Nominations are being accepted for the 2019 North Carolina Award, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the state, now through April 15. Created by the General Assembly in 1961 and administered by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the award recognizes “notable accomplishments by North Carolina citizens” in the fields of literature, science, fine arts and public service. 

N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Susi Hamilton announces the appointment of Joshua Davis as the new Chief Financial Officer for the department.   A native of Davis, N.C., in Carteret County, he has worked at DNCR for over eight years and previously served as the department’s Strategy and Policy Advisor and the Director of Internal Audit. Prior to working at DNCR, Davis worked at the Office of the State Auditor for seven years as a Financial Auditor and Performance Audit Supervisor.

Governor Roy Cooper will induct North Carolina’s ninth poet laureate, Jaki Shelton Green, at a ceremony in the North Carolina State Capitol beginning at 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18.