Fresh Faces: Gabrielle Washington

There’s no harder working crew in North Carolina State Parks than the maintenance mechanics at Lake James State Park. Juggling the needs for upkeep and repairs to existing facilities at such a “well-loved” park with the expansion and improvement projects that go hand-in-hand with staying at the top of everyone’s list of places to visit takes a skilled and dedicated group of professionals.

Lake James is staying ahead of the curve with the recent addition of Gabrielle Washington to the maintenance team.

Gabby spent most of her life in the Raleigh area before attending college at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she majored in psychology. After working a series of part-time jobs after graduation, she found herself finding her happy place working outdoors as a seasonal general utility worker at Falls Lake State Recreation Area. That realization led her to turning that part-time job into a full-time career and the search ended at Lake James this past June.

After a summer learning the ropes at her new workplace, Gabby will take the reins as the lead maintenance technician in charge of the seasonal general utility worker staff and oversight of the new visitor center – opportunities and responsibilities she said she’s excited for.

“I’m still learning, so I’ve been getting to know everybody and the park. I love learning new stuff and meeting new people. I’m still so excited to be here; it’s so pretty,” Gabby explained. If enthusiasm and work ethic say anything about future success, Gabby’s arrival at Lake James is just the beginning of a long and meaningful career.

“God has blessed me and answered my prayer about finding a job outside that I love, and He gave it to me,” she professed.