DNREC Announces New Superintendents at Several Delaware State Parks

Lisa McHugh, Lums Pond State Park; Scott Borino, Delaware Seashore State Park; Alana Delaney, Bellevue and Fox Point state parks; and Patrick Thompson, Alapocas Run and Wilmington state parks. /DNREC photos

 

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is pleased to announce four new superintendents at Delaware State Parks. Lisa McHugh is now the superintendent at Lums Pond State Park, Scott Borino is the superintendent at Delaware Seashore State Park, Alana Delaney has been named superintendent of Bellevue and Fox Point state parks, and Patrick Thompson is the superintendent of Alapocas Run and Wilmington state parks.

Lisa McHugh was previously the assistant park superintendent at Alapocas Run and Wilmington state parks from March 2020 to December 2022. McHugh started her career with the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation as a conservation technician at Wilmington parks in November 2006 and held that position until she was promoted to assistant park superintendent.

Scott Borino was promoted from his assistant superintendent position at Delaware Seashore State Park. He was first hired by the division in 2013 as the assistant superintendent at the Indian River Marina. He previously held positions as the community services manager and then executive director of the Edgemoor Community Center in Wilmington. Borino also served in the AmeriCorps VISTA program with the American Red Cross in Delaware and Maryland.

Alana Delaney transferred to Bellevue and Fox Point state parks after serving as the superintendent of Alapocas Run and Wilmington State Parks since 2018. She previously served as the assistant superintendent of Alapocas Run and assistant superintendent of Bellevue State Park. Prior to those roles with the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation, she worked in several others with the division including as naturalist and park patrol officer at White Clay Creek State Park, and volunteer coordinator for the northern and inland ponds regions of the Delaware State Parks system.

Pat Thompson moved from his position at the helm of Auburn Valley State Park to take Delaney’s place as superintendent of Alapocas Run and Wilmington Run state parks. Thompson started his DNREC career in 2004 at Bellevue State Park as a park patrol officer and assistant superintendent before becoming a conservation technician. He briefly left Delaware in 2009 to work for the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Bellingham, Wash., and returned to work in Delaware State Parks in 2010 as a conservation tech at Alapocas Run and Wilmington state parks. Thompson worked at Brandywine Creek State Park from 2015 to 2017, when he was promoted to assistant superintendent of Bellevue. Thompson then became the assistant park superintendent for Alapocas Run and Wilmington state parks before his promotion to superintendent of Auburn Valley State Park in 2020.

McHugh, Borino, Delaney and Thompson are responsible for all daily operations at their respective state parks, including supervision, scheduling and evaluation of staff; coordination of maintenance and visitor service programs; development and continuation of relationships with partners, adjacent landowners and community groups; and fiscal, programmatic and infrastructure planning.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin joins schoolchildren to celebrate Arbor Day at Bellevue State Park

Wilmington – DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin today was joined by schoolchildren and members of the Friends of Bellevue State Park in planting a tree to celebrate Arbor Day at the park. A group of young people from Wilmington Friends School, Wilmington Montessori School, and several Bellevue State Park spring break day campers were on hand at the event.

“Trees are our friends,” Secretary Garvin told the young students. “They create an ecosystem to provide habitat, not just for birds, but also for other wildlife. They also release oxygen and improve air quality. Trees also help conserve energy and water, and help preserve the soil.”

The children helped Secretary Garvin plant a ceremonial tree to mark the occasion and each child was given a tree to take home to plant. That was followed by a nature walk through the park.

Media Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902


DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, state officials and the Friends of Bellevue State Park dedicate new historical marker for Mount Pleasant Meeting House

(left-to-right) Sarah Denison, Deputy Director, Delaware Public Archives; Wilma Yu, President, Friends of Bellevue State Park; State Representative Debra Heffernan; DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin; Don Blythe, Board member, Friends of Bellevue State Park, dedicate new historical marker at the Mount Pleasant Meeting House in Bellevue State Park. (DNREC Photo)

WILMINGTON – DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin was joined by State Representative Debra Heffernan, Delaware Public Archives Deputy Director Sarah Denison and members of the Friends of Bellevue State Park today, to dedicate a new historical marker highlighting the history of the Mount Pleasant Meeting House in Bellevue State Park.

The meeting house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for architectural significance. It was originally used as a public meeting house then transitioned to a dedicated religious space. Construction on the stone building began in 1838, and a cemetery was added in 1841. A Queen Anne style parsonage was constructed in 1894. Numerous improvements and restoration work have occurred since then. The Church of Christ purchased the property in 1961 and restored it to its 1893 appearance. The state acquired the site in 1996, and incorporated it into Bellevue State Park.

“The Mount Pleasant Meeting House is unique given its age and historic significance,” said Secretary Garvin. “We are pleased that our parks visitors can enjoy learning about this important site. One of our state parks’ goals is to make sure the public is educated about our historic and cultural treasures, and this is certainly one of them. I thank the Friends of Bellevue State Park, State Representative Debra Heffernan, and the Delaware Public Archives for their support in making this possible.”

In 2016, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation completely renovated the 1894 parsonage to restore its original design, including a new roof, full window restoration, exterior siding, restoration of the front porch, and new plasterwork on the third floor interior. Paint chip samples from the structure were color-matched, and the building was repainted in its original colors. In 2017, the Meeting House received a new cedar shake roof, and plans are in place to restore its large stained glass windows.

The restoration work was coordinated by DNREC in partnership with the Friends of Bellevue, which secured grants for the work from the Longwood Foundation, Crystal Trust and the Crestlea Foundation. The Delaware Public Archives administers the state’s Historical Markers Program. The new historical marker was funded by Representative Heffernan.

Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 319