PARK SUPERINTENDANT MARK PITCHELL RETIRES;
PETE MICHEL MOVING TO HANCOCK HOUSE
Monmouth Battlefield Park Superintendant Mark Pitchell retired on May 1, 2016, after a career of 46 years with the State. He started as a summer ranger in 1971 at Island Beach, then spent 13 years as superintendent of Monmouth Battlefield and another 13 years running Ringwood State Park in Ringwood. His second stint as Superintendant at Monmouth was from 2013 to 2016. During his career, Mr. Pitchell has had significant experience with successful privatization activities such as food concessions, boat rentals, and including shepherding the creation of a very high-end commercial catering arrangement at the Skylands Mansion at Ringwood State Park, which was the first of its kind for any New Jersey State Park. Your editor had the pleasure of working with him personally in 1983 when I was conducting a research project for the New Jersey Historical Commission on the location of the Civil War training camp called Camp Vredenburg within the bounds of the current battlefield state park.We thank Mark for his support of the Friends and our projects and we will miss working with him. We certainly wish him the best in his retirement!
Mark’s position as Superintendant is now vacant while a search for his replacement is underway. For the meanwhile, Inga Gabliks, the Superintendant at Allaire State Park, will serve as Acting Superintendant at Monmouth Battlefield State Park. This is her second stint with us, since she served as acting Park Superintendant for 4 ½ years from 2010 to 2013, after Chuck Sary retired. We welcome her back and look forward to working with her again.