SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. — Lake Anna State Park named Dustin Yates as the new park manager. He comes to this position with a lot of knowledge and just over nine years of experience and is eager to transition into this new role.
“Dustin has shown great leadership skills in every project he worked on and his dedication to making the parks a better place for all to enjoy is something that he takes pride in,” said Potomac District Manager Ken Benson. “We are excited to watch him grow and know he will do great things at Lake Anna State Park.
Yates began his career with Virginia State Parks in 2016 as a wage maintenance employee at Smith Mountain Lake State Park. He then went on to serve as chief ranger at Bear Creek Lake State Park, followed by leadership roles as chief ranger of volunteers and chief ranger of operations at Pocahontas State Park. He was promoted in 2021 as the assistant park manager at Pocahontas, where he served until this recent promotion.
“I love that this beautiful park gets to be my office and my home,” said Lake Anna State Park Manager Dustin Yates. “I look forward to establishing roots in the Lake Anna area, engaging with the local community, and working alongside staff to further enhance the operations and visitor experience at the park.”
Yates holds a degree in recreation, health and tourism from George Mason University, with a concentration in parks and outdoor recreation as well as sports management.
He is excited to bring new ideas to the park and looks forward to working with the staff and the community. Throughout his career, Yates learned some essential lessons in leadership and teamwork.
“To be successful, you have to be a good listener so you know the needs of the team and how to support them in their jobs and goals,” said Yates. “You also need to be able to listen to the needs of our visitors, and find that balance of supporting their needs and desires for the park with conserving the resources of the park so that it can be enjoyed by many future generations.”
Be sure to stop by the park and say hello to Dustin as there will be a meet and greet on October 22 at 2 p.m. at the Ware’s Cove Picnic Area.
Lake Anna State Park is a very busy park, especially on the weekends, so check out the park web page before your visit.
Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. For more information about Virginia State Parks’ activities and amenities or to reserve one of the more than 1,800 campsites or 300 climate-controlled cabins, call the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at 800-933-PARK or visit www.virginiastateparks.gov.
