Erin Brown Joins David Mumford to Lead Falls Lake State Recreation Area

The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation announced that Erin Brown has been named a superintendent at Falls Lake State Recreation Area. Brown has moved into the position that Crystal Lloyd vacated last year when she transferred to Carolina Beach State Park. Brown joins David Mumford, the lead superintendent.

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, one superintendent focuses on managing the extensive staff, and that is the role Brown will fill.

Brown is a native of Chatham County and spent her summers before college working at Jordan Lake State Recreation Area, as an entrance station attendant and later a park technician. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation and tourism management, with a concentration in natural resources. During college, she interned at Mount Mitchell State Park.

Brown began her post-graduation career with the town of Garner's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department. In 2011, she returned to Jordan Lake, this time in a permanent role as a park ranger. After eight years, she was promoted to an advanced ranger position at Eno River State Park in Durham, serving as their lead law enforcement coordinator for five years. She is certified as a law enforcement general instructor for the division. She also recently obtained her intermediate and advanced law enforcement certifications.

"Erin's proven history of working in various roles for parks around the Triangle, especially her experience with recreation areas, make her an excellent fit for this role," said Deputy Director of Operations Kathy Capps. "Our reservoirs each welcome over 1 million visitors annually and require a large staff, spread out across multiple accesses, to manage them. We are excited to see Erin rise to the challenge of leading the Falls Lake staff and helping David keep the park running smoothly."

Located 15 miles east of downtown Durham, Falls Lake provides seven access areas to the reservoir. More than 300 campsites offer a variety of overnight experiences. Trails include a portion of the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail, as well as one of the premier mountain bike trail systems in the Triangle area, located at Beaverdam access. During the spring and fall, migrating monarch butterflies add to the picturesque beauty of the lake.

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.