The Valle Crucis Community Park has hired Gardner Hoover as its new Executive Director, effective mid-February.
Hoover has lived in Watauga County since 1996, when he moved to Boone from Roanoke, Virginia to study at Appalachian State University, drawn to the area in part by his love of the North Carolina mountains and all the outdoor recreation opportunities in the High Country. He completed a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Management with a minor in Appropriate Technology in 2001. Following his graduation, Gardner worked for Project Challenge North Carolina, a wilderness therapy program administered through the state’s Juvenile Justice Prevention Council, for about seven years. In this role he worked with teens from around the state, working first as a wilderness guide and eventually running the program.
Since that time, Hoover has worked in a variety of capacities in the area, including significant involvement with non-profit agencies. He was part of WAMY Community Action’s Weatherization program for seven years. He has been affiliated with the local Habitat for Humanity organization for over 17 years, first as a volunteer, later as a board member and, most recently, as manager of Habitat Restore of Boone, a job he held for five years until accepting the position at Valle Crucis Park.
Hoover said that he was most attracted to the Executive Director role at Valle Crucis Park because of its importance to the community. He noted that the pandemic was also an eye-opener and made him appreciate more than ever the importance of having a place like the Park. “This is a beautiful and safe place for people and families to spend time outdoors. As a father of a three year-old son, my family time and father/son time at the Park has been exceptional.”
The skills Hoover brings to the Executive Director position include his hands-on construction and maintenance experience; his leadership experience; and his ability to manage people, situations, and risk within an organization. His immediate goals for the Park include learning more about the organization and its operation, fundraising, and addressing maintenance needs to enhance the safety and aesthetics of Park structures and grounds.
Longer term, Hoover says that he wants to “continue the goal of enhancing the experience for Park visitors and continuing to improve Park amenities. I want to make it the best that it can be.” This includes balancing development and preservation, to “make sure that the things we like about the Park remain in place as the Park continues to grow as more visitors use the Park.” He compares his role at the Park to rebuilding a home: “You must start with a sound and stable foundation and then build upon that. Luckily this park has a great history and a strong foundation of dedicated volunteers, committed donors, and amazing staff, so there is only one way to go from here and that’s up!”
Hoover is a resident of the Valle Crucis community, where he lives with his wife Becky and their three-year old son, Sutton.
Valle Crucis Community Park is a private, non-profit entity established in 1983. This 28-acre park adjoins the Watauga River and provides fishing access, walking trails, environmental education programming, playgrounds, and picnic areas for use by members of the local community and visitors alike.
Courtesy of Valle Crucis Community Park
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