John Fullwood, who became superintendent of Goose Creek State Park in 2011, has moved up the career ladder but he said his family will still make Beaufort County their home.

Fullwood was named the state parks’ east district superintendent in the spring, which means he’ll have a bit of a commute to his office at the Cliffs of the Neuse State Park in Wayne County.

“I never thought I would leave this area … my family will continue to stay here in Beaufort County,” Fullwood said. “I’ve worked on the northern Outer Banks and the southern Outer Banks and it’s all pretty, but this is a nice area. It’s a beautiful area, it really is.”

Prior to taking the helm at Goose Creek, Fullwood worked at Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Dare County and Fort Macon State Park in Carteret County.

In his new role he’s overseeing eight state parks and three state natural areas. As district superintendent he will still have a hand in the operation of Goose Creek State Park.

“I hope to spend time and work with the staffs in each park on a regular basis,” Fullwood said.

Born and raised in Raleigh, Fullwood has worked full time with the state’s park system for more than 20 years.

He said he enjoyed his time at Goose Creek and is confident he and his staff have made a positive impact there.

“I’m proud of what the staff has gotten accomplished,” he said. “It’s hard to stand anywhere in the park and not see something that hasn’t been improved upon or made more comfortable or user-friendly for the park visitors.”

One project is of special interest to Fullwood.

“We’ve got a lot of restoration work going on, including the long leaf pine project,” Fullwood said of the efforts to plant more of the native trees in the park. “We hope to keep that going, maybe even on a larger scale.”