Lee Superintendent at Lumber River         

Neill Lee, a veteran ranger at Lumber River State Park in Columbus and Robeson counties, has been promoted to superintendent of the park. Lee succeeds James Sessoms, who was appointed superintendent of Singletary Lake State Park in Bladen County earlier this year.

A superintendent is the chief of operations and administration at a state park or state recreation area with wide-ranging responsibilities for staffing, training, law enforcement, visitor services, natural resource protection and environmental education.

Lee is a native of Lumberton and graduated from Lumberton High School in 1981. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at UNC-Chapel Hill in 1988. He began with the division as a seasonal employee at Fort Macon State Park in 1989 and later worked for two years with the Division of Marine Fisheries.

Lee was hired as Lumber River’s first fulltime ranger when it was established in 1994. He is a certified environmental educator, canoe instructor and has directed the park’s natural resource protection program.

“Neill has broad experience and valuable knowledge of the state park, the Lumber River and the communities surrounding both,” said Lewis Ledford, director of the division. “As the park continues to grow and face new challenges, we’re very pleased to have someone with this experience and knowledge in the superintendent’s position.”

Lee said he is looking forward to the new challenges. “I hope to continue in James’ footsteps in protecting the natural resources of the Lumber River and making it a unique recreational opportunity for our visitors,” he said.