Virginia State Parks Employee Benevolence Association

04/01/2026

Caleb Stanger is the new Park Ranger Public Safety & Law Enforcement at Pocahontas State Park.

Caleb began his time in parks in 2022 as a trades tech at Pocahontas State Park. Since that time, he participated in the Park Ranger Career Development Internship and later worked for New Kent County as the lead Grounds Maintenance Technician. In 2024, he got a full time job at Powhatan State Park as a Park Ranger - LE. Caleb is excited to return to Pocahontas where he began his career in State Parks.

In his free time, Caleb enjoys playing guitar and violin, hiking, hunting, and hanging out with his wife, Lauren, and their cat, Odette.

03/17/2026

Collin Moss
Assistant Park Manager -Staunton River State Park

Collin was born and raised in Virginia Beach. Growing up he spent most of his time backpacking the Appalachian trail and participating in scouting. His passion for state parks started with hiking through many of the parks along the Appalachian trail and found the beauty in many of them. He graduated from ODU in 2022, majoring in Parks and Recreation Management. He first began volunteering for
False Cape State Park and quickly transitioned into an Americorp position at James River State Park.

After his term at James River State Park he accepted the position of Chief Ranger at Chippokes State Park in October 2022. After a few years he then transferred to Douthat State Park as their Chief Ranger. From there he was able to gain experience to allow him to be promoted to Assistant Park Manager at Staunton River State Park. He is very excited for this new role and the challenges that come with it!

03/17/2026

Joel Neville
Assistant Park Manager– Lake Anna State Park

Joel decided he wanted to pursue a career in parks after thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2017.

He worked as a trades tech at York River SP for one summer before attending Radford University for a degree in recreation, parks and tourism. While studying at Radford, Joel worked as a contact ranger and trades tech at Claytor Lake SP, which helped him prepare for the park ranger career development internship.

His internship at Staunton River SP and his return to Claytor SP after completing the internship helped him gain the skills for a full-time maintenance ranger position at Pocahontas SP.

After three summers at Pocahontas, Joel moved to Machicomoco SP for a Chief Ranger - Visitor Experience position where he enjoyed designing comprehensive programming and building relationships with local communities. Joel is excited to apply his work experience at Lake Anna SP as the new Assistant Park Manager; he is grateful for the lessons he's been taught at his previous parks and looks forward to leveraging those lessons in his new position.

In his spare time, Joel enjoys claiming to know how to fish while he kayaks around freshwater lakes with a fishing rod.

03/17/2026

Jarrett Fisher
Chief Ranger of Maintenance and Operations-Natural Bridge

A lifelong resident of the region, Jarrett was born and raised in Bedford County, Virginia. He dedicated ten years of service to Roanoke County Parks and Recreation, gaining valuable experience in the field. As an avid outdoorsman, he is now eager to help build and grow an organization with
such a rich history in nature and conservation.

When not working, Jarrett can be found camping, hunting, fishing, and enjoying time with his wife, Shelby, and their dog, Ginger.

03/11/2026

Laura DeCarlo is the New Office Manager at Occoneechee State Park

Before her new adventure as Office Manager at
Occoneechee State Park, Laura has spent the last 5 years with the Department of Corrections as a Procurement Specialist for Nottoway and Lunenburg Correctional. In 2024, she was promoted to the accountant position at Lunenburg Correctional. She is so excited about the opportunity to work in such a beautiful atmosphere and hopes to have a positive impact on her employees and Park visitors. When she is not working, she enjoys watching her husband race at South Boston Speedway, spending time with her son when he is home from James Madison University, and relaxing, preferably at the beach with a good book or movie with the family and their five dogs.

03/10/2026

03/10/2026

Damario Abdalla- Data Integrity Specialist-Headquarters

Damario brings a wide range of experience in data work across several fields, including international development and logistics. He recently earned his Master of Science in Business Analytics from the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign. Before graduate school, he worked as a Business Intelligence Analyst, where he created automated dashboards and helped streamline how data moved through different systems. He most recently worked with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security, where he supported global security planning by building data models and maps.

In his new role, Damario will use his background in data quality, system reliability, and process improvement to help ensure our information is accurate, consistent, and dependable.

Outside the office, Damario is a big film fan and follows Major League Baseball for its mix of strategy and statistics. He also has a background in forestry engineering and enjoys exploring topics like geospatial analysis and drone technology. He recently moved to Richmond from New York.

01/14/2026

Len Maguigad - Office Manager- Leesylvania State Park

Len is originally from Virginia but spent their childhood in Northern California. In 2019, Len moved back to Virginia to attend George Mason University, where they graduated in with a Bachelor of Science in Criminology, Society, and Law, with a minor in Forensic Psychology and a concentration in Criminal Justice. In 2023, Len
started working at Leesylvania State Park as an administrative assistant and was excited to take on the role of Office Manager in March of this year. Before working for VA State Parks, Len worked as an intake and release technician for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Outside of work, Len spends their free time reading, painting, and hanging out with their fiancé and their 5 pets (2 dogs, 3 cats).

01/14/2026

Cory Carlson -Park Ranger Maintenance Leesylvania State Park

Previous to my new journey as a Park Ranger I served my community as a Lieutenant at Atlantic Beach Fire Department as a Fire Fighter /Paramedic. My wife is a pilot in the United States Marine Corps which brought our adventures to Virginia. After leaving the fire house I knew I wanted to continue to serve the people but in a different capacity. My family's love for the outdoors led me to the idea of service through conservation and recreation. I started as a Trades Tech 1 here at Leesylvania State Park a year ago and am newly promoted to Park Ranger Maintenance. In this roll I feel that I can contribute more to the park and the community. I'm excited to share this chapter with the parks large and extensive family.

01/13/2026

Jackson Catlett- Chief Ranger of Law Enforcement and Operations - Westmoreland State Park

Jackson Catlett recently joined Westmoreland State Park as the new Chief Ranger of Law Enforcement and Operations. He’s excited for the opportunity to work in such a beautiful environment and enjoys seeing the positive impact his work has on the park. Outside of work, Jackson loves hiking the trails with his wife, two kids, and their German shepherd, Charlie, and spending family time playing board games.

01/13/2026

Lisa Whalen - Assistant Park Manager - Smith
Mountain Lake State Park

Lisa is thrilled to be back in Virginia. Originally from Blacksburg, she studied at Virginia Tech, earning a B.A. in English, as well as a B.S. and a Master’s degree in Geosciences. She spent five years working as a park ranger for Washington State Parks on the rugged Pacific coast, where she developed a passion for operations and interpretation. Lisa is blown away by the beauty of fall at Smith Mountain Lake and feels grateful for the opportunity to help such a special place thrive. When she’s not working, Lisa likes to hike and play board games with her husband and
spend time with her cats Cheeto and Lunatic.