Andre McLendon, a longtime Crawfordville resident and manager of A.H. Stephens State Park, recently was promoted to Region 3 manager of the Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites, a division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). McClendon will be responsible for guiding the management and protection of 12 sites, including Mistletoe, Elijah Clark, and Hard Labor Creek state parks.
“This new role gives me a great opportunity to develop new partnerships and assist in making enhancements and improvements to parks throughout the state,” McLendon said.
After beginning his DNR career in 1994, McLendon has managed both A.H. Stephens and Hamburg state parks. He has served in key leadership roles throughout his career, including filling management vacancies at Fort Yargo, High Falls, Elijah Clark, and Hard Labor Creek state parks. He also assists with statewide emergencies such as hurricanes and floods.
The Taliaferro County native graduated from DNR Leadership Academy and was class president for the 20192020 National State Parks Conference.
He serves as a Georgia Park Ranger Academy and Manager-In-Training instructor and was Park Manager of the Year in 2014. Under McClendon’s leadership, A.H. Stephens State Park received the division’s 2020 Most Outstanding Operations award and 2021 Most Outstanding Program award.
McLendon said he and his family look forward to moving into a new home and starting a new journey together. He also mentioned Region 3 has beautiful state parks and good park managers.
“I look forward to leading my team as we serve the people of this wonderful state of Georgia,” McClendon stated.