Parkway superintendent to retire
From left, National Park Service rangers Susan Brown and Amy Renfranz pose with Blue Ridge Parkway superintendent Phil Francis at the Sept. 11, 2012 ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Linn Cove Viaduct near Blowing Rock.
The National Park Service recently announced the upcoming
retirement of Blue Ridge Parkway superintendent Phil Francis.
Francis, 60, is expected to
step down on April 1. He has spent the last 41 years working for the National Park Service and was
appointed superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2005.
In a recent interview, Francis
indicated that he would remain involved with the parkway as a volunteer and plans to spend more time
with his wife, also an employee of the National Park Service.
On Sept. 11, 2012, Francis and
a number of parkway officials and engineers involved with the construction of the Linn Cove Viaduct,
located on the Blue Ridge Parkway south of Blowing Rock, took part in a ceremony marking the 25th
anniversary of the opening of the viaduct.
There is no word yet on who might be Francis’
replacement as Blue Ridge Parkway superintendent.
