Jockey’s Ridge State Park will be under new leadership, North Carolina State Parks announced last week.

Steve Rogers, most recently the superintendent of Merchants Millpond State Park in Gates County, has been selected to serve as the superintendent for the Dare County destination featuring the tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic Coast. He succeeds longtime Jockey’s Ridge superintendent, Joy Cook, who retired in January.

Rogers said he is committed to preserving natural resources, enhancing visitor experiences, and fostering community partnerships at the park, according to the release.

Rogers began his parks career with the Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space Division as a seasonal employee in 1998 and was hired full time in maintenance the following year. He acted as herd manager for the nonprofit organization Corolla Wild Horse Fund from 2006 to 2009 before becoming a ranger for Pettigrew State Park in Creswell. There he was promoted to superintendent in 2015. He has served as superintendent of Merchants Millpond State Park since 2017.

“Steve’s leadership, experience and commitment to park stewardship have made a lasting impact at every park he has served,” State Parks Director Brian Strong said. “We are confident he will continue that legacy at Jockey’s Ridge, ensuring this iconic landscape is protected and enjoyed for generations to come.”

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.

The North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, a part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, features 35 state parks, 25 state natural areas, four state recreation areas, seven state lakes, four Natural and Scenic Rivers, and 15 state trails, spanning over 264,000 acres of iconic landscapes and welcoming 18 million visitors annually, state officials said.

Help protect native habitats and support local wildlife Sunday afternoon by lending a hand to remove the invasive Japanese stiltgrass from Merchants Millpond State Park in Gates County.

North Carolina Wildlife Federation‘s Wildlife Habitat Stewards of Northeastern NC has organized the hands-on volunteer effort from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 19 to clear the invasive plant from along the park’s Coleman Trail.

“Japanese stiltgrass, originally from Asia, has spread rapidly across the eastern U.S. since its arrival in 1919. It crowds out native plants, offers little to no food for wildlife, and can produce thousands of seeds that linger in the soil for years,” according to the federation.

The state park in Gatesville is 10 miles south of North Carolina’s northeastern border with Virginia and centers on a 760-acre millpond more than 190 years old.

Parking and restrooms are available at the Coleman Trailhead. Register online for more details.