Press Releases

RALEIGH, N.C. — Vonda Martin is the new division of parks and recreation grants and outreach manager, the division announced Friday. Martin succeeds Chris Schmidt, who has served as interim grants and outreach manager since 2018.

Joe Shimel is the new east district superintendent of North Carolina state parks, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. Shimel succeeds Sarah Kendrick, who served as acting superintendent beginning in 2020.

The North Carolina State Capitol is hosting legal scholar Seth Barrett Tillman on Thursday, May 5 at 6 p.m. for "New Thinking on Jacob Henry," a virtual talk about North Carolina's first Jewish legislator.

To celebrate National Poetry Month, the State Archives of North Carolina, in collaboration with the North Carolina Arts Council, will host "History in Verse," featuring N.C. Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green.

Students at the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will have the opportunity to learn and earn this summer through 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 announced today that Will Summer has been named as the next director of the N.C. Division of Land and Water Stewardship and Executive Director of the N.C. Land and Water Fund (NCLWF).

Stokes Early College High School (SECHS) in Walnut Cove, N.C. is the recipient of this year’s grant from Horne Creek Farm’s “Instructional Heirloom Apple Orchard for Schools” program.

The North Carolina Arts Council has awarded the 

Andy Sicard is the new superintendent of Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery, Caldwell and Watauga counties, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. Sicard succeeds Kevin Bischof, who transferred to serve as superintendent at Gorges State Park in June.

The North Carolina Arts Council announced today that five traditional artist teams from western North Carolina have received the third annual North Carolina Appalachian Folklife Apprenticeships awards.