Va. Parks to get First Female Director

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia is set to get its first ever female director of its state parks service.

Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that he’d hired Melissa Baker to oversee 38 state parks and more than 270 employees. She will be the first woman to run the department in the park system’s 83-year history when she starts in January.

Baker previously worked as the director of North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department and previous worked as chief of operations for Montana State Parks. She’s previously taught at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and the University of Maine.