Department of Parks
Personnel Changes Announced By Kentucky State Parks

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky State Parks Commissioner Gerry van der Meer today announced several personnel changes as part of a new management structure in the Department of Parks.

Three regional managers – all hired from within the department – will help oversee the 52 parks, van der Meer said. The new regional managers are: Monica Conrad, who has most recently served as the park manager at Barren River Lake State Resort Park near Glasgow. She will oversee the parks in the eastern region. Kerry Lamb, who most recently was director of resort parks, will be the manager for the central region. Stefanie Gaither, who has been the manager at Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park at Mount Olivet, will serve as manager for the western region.

“These changes are part of our plans to bring about improvements and more efficiency to our park system,” van der Meer said. “All three of these regional managers have experience with state parks that will benefit the entire department.”

Van der Meer also announced these other appointments:

-         Diane Bonfert will be the director of recreation. Bonfert served as program and services director for the Lexington Downtown Development Authority and held several positions in the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Division of Parks and Recreation.

-         Chris Kellogg is the department’s new communications director. She previously held the same post with the Department of Travel and has worked in other state agencies.

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The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 52 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges -- more than any other state. For more information on Kentucky parks, visit our Web site at http://www.parks.ky.gov