North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

Celebrating the incredible work of our 2026 DNCR summer interns! From innovative projects to meaningful contributions across the Department, we were proud to honor their achievements at this year’s Internship Program Closing Ceremony. Thank you to our leaders, supervisors, and colleagues who joined us in lifting up the next generation of public service professionals!

🌟 Workforce Wednesday 🌟 Dreaming of a career where you can help preserve, protect, and promote North Carolina's natural and cultural treasures? DNCR has several opportunities open now! This week's featured positions: 🔹 Executive Assistant – North Carolina Zoo📍Randolph Co. - Closes Aug. 5 🔹National Register Assistant – Division of Historical Resources📍Wake Co. – Closes August 11 Positions with Continuous Recruitment (no closing date): 🔹 Administrative Receptionist – North Carolina Zoo📍Randolph Co. 🔹 Cash Management & Reservation Assistant – North Carolina Zoo📍Randolph Co. 🔹 Guest Services, Environmental Services – North Carolina Zoo📍Randolph Co. 🔹 Seasonal Security & Risk Management Administrative Specialist - North Carolina Zoo 📍Randolph Co. 🔗 View and apply for these roles at the link in the comments. Join our team and help shape North Carolina's story for generations to come! Please note: Positions may close before you see this post, but they remain open until their stated deadline. Listings close at 11:59:59 p.m. the night before the closing date.

We’re happy to announce that Amy Craft Klassen has been named the new executive director of Roanoke Island Festival Park. With nearly 20 years of experience in museums and cultural organizations, including leadership roles at the Butler Institute of American Art in Ohio and the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum in Florida, she brings a strong background in operations, strategic planning, and public programming to the Outer Banks. Her leadership will help further the park’s mission to share and celebrate the region’s rich history with visitors from near and far. Klassen officially begins her role on September 18. Read the full announcement at the link, https://bit.ly/4c9fxbz.

DNCR Intern Spotlight: Meet Quinn McCrea, Education Intern at Jennette's Pier. Quinn leads summer camp activities including surfing, fishing, paddleboarding, and crabbing, while helping with logistics and equipment setup. She’s a senior at University of North Carolina at Charlotte studying Earth and Environmental Sciences and hopes to work in education or the non-profit field. Quinn says she loves the community involvement at the pier, teaching kids, and being on the water every day.

🌟 Workforce Wednesday 🌟 Dreaming of a career where you can help preserve, protect, and promote North Carolina's natural and cultural treasures? DNCR has several opportunities open now! This week's featured positions: 🔹Director of Internal Audit – OPS Deputy Secretary📍Wake Co. – Closes July 28 🔹Deputy Director – North Carolina Arts Council📍Wake Co. – Closes July 29 🔹Deputy Aquarium Director – North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher📍New Hanover Co. – Closes July 30 Positions with Continuous Recruitment (no closing date): 🔹 Grounds Worker - North Carolina Zoo📍Randolph Co. 🔹 Guest Surveyor – North Carolina Zoo📍Randolph Co. 🔹 Guest Services, Environmental Services – North Carolina Zoo📍Randolph Co. 🔗 View and apply for these roles at the link in the comments. Join our team and help shape North Carolina's story for generations to come! Please note: Positions may close before you see this post, but they remain open until their stated deadline. Listings close at 11:59:59 p.m. the night before the closing date.

Meet Ari Smith, the TAP intern at the State Archives of North Carolina. The Traveling Archivist Program (TAP) Intern visits cultural heritage institutions and community organizations in North Carolina to help preserve their collections and improve access. Ari's work includes processing acquisitions, arranging collections, and answering reference questions. Ari holds a Master's degree in Archives and Records Management from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Big news for Western North Carolina’s creative economy as the Craft Catalyst Initiative from Etsy and the Center for Craft brings new support to local artists, makers, and small businesses.

We are honored to announce that historian and author LeRae Umfleet will serve as the keynote speaker for Harbors of Democracy 2026 in Wilmington. LeRae is widely recognized for her definitive scholarship on the 1898 Wilmington massacre and coup d’état. She served as the principal researcher and author of North Carolina’s official commission report, work that later became A Day of Blood. Her research documented the political campaign, racial violence, overthrow of Wilmington’s elected government, and enduring consequences of November 1898. Her career also reflects a broader commitment to public history across North Carolina. She has developed outreach and specialty programming for the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, researched stories of North Carolinians who served during World War I, and currently serves as Project Manager for America 250 NC with the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. One statement captures the thread connecting that work: “We need to go tell their stories.” That responsibility lies at the heart of Harbors of Democracy. LeRae will help educators reckon seriously with Wilmington 1898 while also considering broader questions about evidence, political power, military service, public memory, commemoration, and the stories communities choose to preserve. Her scholarship demonstrates how careful historical research can restore suppressed stories to public understanding and help communities see the connections between past events and present-day civic life. We are grateful that LeRae Umfleet will help open this important experience for North Carolina educators. #HarborsOfDemocracy #DemocracyInPlace #CarolinaK12 #Wilmington1898 #America250NC #PublicHistory #CivicEducation #TeacherLeadership #NCed

Happy Park and Recreation Professionals Day! Today, we celebrate the dedicated individuals who make our parks places of learning, healthful living, and environmental stewardship. Thank you to the amazing North Carolina State Parks and Recreation staff for keeping our parks beautiful, accessible, and full of adventure for everyone, while supporting education, wellness, and sustainability across our communities. 🌿💚

DNCR Intern Spotlight: Meet Maddy Dissinger, an intern at the Western Regional Archives. Maddy's projects include accessioning archival donations, conducting contextual research on archival documents, creating metadata, and reorganizing collections. She is a second-year MLIS student (archival studies concentration) at the University of Alabama (UA College of Communication & Information Sciences). She holds a BSc and MSc in biology from UA. Maddy is interested in all things museums and archives, especially collections management.