SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — During the summer of 1978, Sam England prepared for his senior year in high school. He got a summer job at Twin Falls State Park in Wyoming County. He worked on the golf course maintenance crews. This week, more than 41 years later, he leaves the state park system having served as its head for the past five years.
“I had the opportunity to be exposed to a lot of different park atmospheres and park operations and it kind of set me up for this job,” England told MetroNews at a retirement reception Monday.
England worked at Twin Falls during his time in high school and college. His college internship was being the park’s part time naturalist. He graduated from college and in 1983 went to work full time as the naturalist at North Bend State Park.. He worked for a period of time as a Park Ranger there before advancing to the Superintendent of Montcove Lake State Park in 1986 where he stayed for four years, before he moved to Greenbrier State Forest as superintendent in 1990, and finally he took the job in 1998 at Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park prior to the development of Stonewall Resort.
“Once Stonewall Resort became developed and we had a developer, I didn’t have day to day operating responsibilities. I got a chance to travel all over the state doing different projects. I had a chance to work at different places and I filled in for park superintendents in their absence,” said England.
One of those parks was Chief Logan State Park where he helped to open Chief Logan Lodge, the second major development he had overseen.
“I got a chance to open two places. You don’t get that opportunity very often in a lifetime much less twice in a work period,” England said.
He became the chief of parks in 2014.
“Everybody loves state parks. It’s so easy to be involved and to do things with people who love what they’re doing,” he added.
England had high praise for State Park employees and called them the most dedicated state employees in any department. Although he’ll be drawing a state pension, he’ll not be gone. England promised he’d still be around, almost as if it were an obligation.
“Looking back at former parks chiefs who have served, it comes with the territory. You accept that when you take this job, when you leave the chair, you’re still a former parks chief and people still look to you for information and advice.”