Hungry Mother State Park has welcomed a new park manager. Kevin McDonald succeeds Andrew Philpot, who was promoted to the southern district region manager within the Virginia State Parks system.
McDonald is from Haslett, Michigan, and graduated from Central Michigan University (CMU) with a major in outdoor recreation and a minor in leadership. During his time at CMU, McDonald worked at Hungry Mother as an intern.
Since graduating, McDonald has held positions with Virginia State Police and the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office. Within the state parks system, McDonald worked as the chief ranger of operations at Hungry Mother and assistant park manager at Shenandoah River before returning to Hungry Mother as the assistant park manager of visitor and event services.
“I am beyond excited to continue my park journey at the place that has always felt like home, Hungry Mother State Park,” said McDonald. “I am grateful to my fellow rangers who helped me get to this point and to my wife and two daughters for being supportive throughout my career.”
As park manager, McDonald is responsible for daily operations, managing all staff, budgets, community engagement and directing the park’s many programs.
“We are delighted to have Kevin in the role of park manager at Hungry Mother. His enthusiasm for state parks and Hungry Mother, in particular, is evident in his work on behalf of the park,” said Southwest Region Manager Sharon Buchanan.
