Michael Wood promoted to Stone Mountain State Park Superintendent

RALEIGH — The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced that Michael Wood is the new park superintendent at Stone Mountain State Park in Wilkes and Alleghany counties. Wood succeeds Jeff Jones, who retired earlier this year.

Park superintendents lead 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.

A native of Wilkes County, Wood grew up in Hays and graduated from North Wilkes High School in 2001, before getting a bachelor’s degree from Western Carolina University. He first joined the division as a seasonal employee at Stone Mountain State Park for a number of seasons. He left parks for a few years and worked as a residential and commercial electrician. In 2013, he returned to Stone Mountain as a seasonal employee and was later promoted to a permanent park ranger position.

Wood served as the lead natural resource management ranger at Stone Mountain for several years, receiving awards for his work in fire management program and for invasive species management at the park. He most recently worked as the lead ranger in charge of Mount Jefferson State Natural Area in nearby Ashe County.

Wood has considerable experience in numerous aspects of state parks operations while also serving as an armorer for State Parks. He holds numerous certifications in natural resource management, including in pesticide application and as Wildland Firefighter Type 1 and Incident Commander Type 5. Recently, he added a certification as an Advanced Faller I. He is also certified by the American Canoe Association to lead canoe programs.

“Michael is a great fit for this new role given his deep roots in the community, his dedication to the division, and his wide range of qualifications and certifications,” said State Parks Deputy Director of Operations Kathy Capps. “Stone Mountain is a popular destination for campers, anglers, and hikers across the state, and we look forward to seeing what Michael accomplishes at its helm.”

Located 60 miles northwest of Winston-Salem, Stone Mountain is home to the 600-foot granite dome that is a designated National Natural Landmark and the historic Hutchinson Homestead, a restored mid-19th-century farm situated at the mountain base. Stone Mountain staff also manages the nearby Bullhead Mountain State Natural Area.