Tennessee State Parks

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Tennessee State Parks Leadership Group

Tennessee State Parks serves more than 25 million visitors each year – second only to Florida State Parks for overall visitation in the southeastern United States. Park staff presents more than 17,000 interpretive programs annually to nearly 700,000 participants. 

Tennessee State Parks was recognized as the best state parks system in the nation for 2007-2008 as selected by the National Recreation and Park Association.  This prestigious Gold Medal Award recognized Tennessee State Parks’ key accomplishments since 2003, including system access improvements, service enhancements, effective conservation practices, and promoting parks professionalism among staff.

Bob Martineau - Commissioner, Department of Environment and Conservation

Robert MartineauRobert “Bob” Martineau was sworn in as the seventh Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam on January 15, 2011. Commissioner Martineau has spent more than 25 years as an attorney in the field of environmental law. This includes seven years of service in the Office of General Counsel for the U.S. EPA in Washington, D.C. and many years as a partner in private practice helping clients navigate permit processes, solve problems and establish effective environmental management programs. He is one of Tennessee’s foremost experts on environmental regulation and brings an unparalleled level of knowledge to the field. Commissioner Martineau is also a past president of First Steps, Inc., a child development center; Tennessee Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; and Community Health Charities, Tennessee Chapter. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and Cumberlands.

Brock Hill – Deputy Commissioner, Bureau of Parks and Conservation

Brock HillBrock Hill joined the department as Deputy Commissioner for Parks and Conservation on March 1, 2011. Hill oversees Tennessee’s 53 award-winning state parks and 81 state natural areas. A native of Cumberland County, Brock brings a valuable combination of local government and small business experience reflecting 16 years as Cumberland County Mayor and more than 20 years as operator of a family-owned small business in Crossville. Brock served as Cumberland County Mayor from 1994 through 2010, and he has successfully led a growing county recognized for its successful strategic planning and thoughtful regional cooperation in areas like economic and community development, workforce development, public health and water resource planning.

Brock also has a personal interest and record of advocacy for parks, recreation and historical preservation. He has been a long-time board member for the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation and an Advisor to Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Historic Preservation. Brock is no stranger to the people and places of Tennessee State Parks – today or in years past. He worked at the Cumberland Mountain State Park restaurant during his college summers, and he has been an active friend and promoter of state parks for many years. Hill has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Auburn University.  He is married to Cameron Hill and they have three daughters.

Bureau of Parks & Conservation

The department’s Bureau of Parks & Conservation has seven divisions with responsibilities for critical activities reporting directly to the Deputy Commissioner:
bullet State Parks Operations (with two Area Managers)
bullet Interpretive Programs and Education
bullet Facilities Management
bullet Marketing and Product Development
bullet Natural Resources
bullet Archaeology
bullet Recreation Education Services

The senior management team serving the Bureau of Parks and Conservation includes:

Anne Marshall is Senior Advisor to the Deputy Commissioner. Anne is a consummate resource management and park professional who will be vital to the implementation of the Bureau's strategies and producing results that reflect our priorities.  Anne has been with the department for more than 15 years, including 13 years in the Division of Recreation Education Services, and the last three years as Resource Management Director with Tennessee State Parks.

Mike Robertson is Director of State Park Operations.  Mike is currently serving as West Tennessee Parks Area Manager with Herb Roberts serving as East Tennessee Parks Area Manager. Mike has more than 25 years with Tennessee State Parks, including service as a Park Ranger at Big Hill Pond, Bledsoe Creek and David Crockett. He was promoted to Park Manager at Tims Ford in 2001 and was named Middle-West Tennessee Regional Manager in 2009. Mike was most recently named West Tennessee Parks Area Manager when the state parks' regional system was divided into two main areas.

Jeff Wells is Interpretive Programs and Education Director. Jeff comes to this new role from his post as Park Manager for Fort Loudoun State Park and has nearly 30 years of service with Tennessee State Parks.

A Marketing and Product Development Director position has been established, and an open search will begin for that post. Working in this group and reporting to the new Marketing and Product Development Director will be Doug Stephens, serving in a newly created post as Director of Food and Beverage Operations. Doug will provide statewide advice for state parks' restaurants, snack bars and catering services. A new Director of Inn and Conference Centers will also provide statewide advice for state parks' inns, cabins conferences and marinas, and Lauren Hill will be stepping into this new role.

Paul Carter, Certified Golf Course Superintendent at the Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, is Director of Agronomy, providing statewide guidance to all parks' greenskeepers and superintendents. As a nationally recognized leader in sustainable course management practices, Paul is uniquely prepared to help all state park course sites review and implement progressive turf practices.

Charles Brewton is State Parks Marketing Manager, and state parks will continue strengthening group sales, Friends and Volunteers, and specialized parks outreach activities.

Facilities Management Director is Murray Crow. Murray leads the team responsible for working with Park Managers in designing, securing and implementing capital projects and major maintenance at park locations.

Roger McCoy is Director for the Division of Natural Areas leading a group that includes State Natural Areas, Natural Heritage Inventory and Rare Plants, All Taxa Biological Inventory (ATBI) and the Bureau of Parks & Conservation's resource management function.

Mike Moore is State Archaeologist and leads the Division of Archaeology.

Gerald Parish is Director for Recreation Education Services Division. Gerald and the RES team promote, support and enhance local parks, greenways, trails and development of local park professionals.