Staci Martin

I am the Visitor Services Specialist for Virginia State Parks in coastal Virginia. I live in Virginia Beach and my office is headquartered out of First Landing State Park.   My job has four parts—creating, generating, and editing content for our blog, web, and social media sites; assisting parks with in-park projects like interpretive programming, signage and maps; managing advertising and partnerships with local companies, media outlets, grant agencies, other government departments, universities and non-profits; and promoting our parks, volunteer programs, careers, and internships.   It is a lot to do, but I love it!  I am entering my 10^th year with Virginia State Parks, and love waking up and not having to sell high-fructose corn syrup.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to combine my career at Virginia State Parks with my love of learning and teaching. I truly believe in giving back to the community.  As a part-time Adjunct Faculty at Old Dominion University’s English Department and Honors College, I teach gen-ed English courses that have environmental stewardship themes. Students get extra credit for visiting Virginia State Parks. It’s a win win!  Staying connected with my alma mater and students helps me understand the changing face of technology, education, and outdoor interests. 

On the home front, I am a true member of the sandwich generation.  My husband and I live a few houses down from his parents (his mom is the V.P. of Friends of First Landing State Park) and my mom lives with us.  My mom, born in the rolling hills of Prussia and raised in Germany along the Dutch border, instilled a love of the outdoors in me. My husband is a GIS Analyst and helps me with my map and cartography questions.  We have two children, ages 15 and 5, and three cats ages 21, 11, and 7.  How do we manage it all?  With grandparents, smart phones, online calendars, tasty beverages, Amazon.com, and a positive attitude!   A lot of my “can do” attitude rolls up to Virginia State Parks—when you love where you work and play everything else falls into place. 

In spite of some crazy schedules, I still find time to volunteer and garden. I live in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach and serve on the Historic Kempsville Citizens Advisory Committee.  As a former high school dropout, I also mentor at-risk high school students and non-traditional students who are looking for help getting back on track with their education.  My favorite thing in the world, besides our beautiful Virginia State Parks, is pottering in my gardens, and watching my son chase butterflies and dig for worms while my photography-enthusiast daughter takes incredible macros of our rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and crepe myrtles.

If you have an outdoor story to tell, drop me a note, and maybe we can turn it into a guest blog.