The Florida State Parks Foundation welcomes today’s announcement that Chuck Hatcher has been named Director of the Division of Recreation and Parks. Chuck has served as Acting Director since November 2021.
“The Foundation congratulates Chuck on being named Director and recognizes his significant contributions to the division,” said Tammy Gustafson, Florida State Parks Foundation President. “Working closely with Chuck and other division leadership, we have accomplished important projects that enhance visitor experiences at Florida’s award-winning state parks. We look forward to the continued strong partnership and successes ahead in the years to come.”
With Chuck’s leadership, a streak of record-breaking revenue and remarkable attendance numbers continued, along with design and construction project achievements. Most recently, campgrounds at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City and Bahia Honda State Park in Pine Key re-opened. In January, the division also took over management and re-opened William J. “Billy Joe” Rish Recreation Area in Port St. Joe.
Chuck joined the Department of Environmental Protection in March 2016 as Assistant Director of Field Operations for the Division of Recreation and Parks. Prior to that, he served for a decade as Director of Parks and Recreation in Jackson County, Florida, where he received numerous awards including the Excellence in Leadership Award presented by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.
The Florida State Parks Foundation, founded in 1993 as Friends of Florida State Parks and renamed in 2018, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation whose mission is to support and help sustain the Florida Park Service, its 175 award-winning parks and trails, local Friends groups and more than 20,000 park volunteers.
It does this through programs that preserve and protect state parks, educate visitors about the value of state parks, encourage community engagement and active use of state parks, and advocacy. The volunteer Board of Directors represents private and public sectors as well as local and statewide interests.
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About the Author: Foundation Staff
