On October 2nd, Corky Mayo retired from the National Park Service after 41 years of federal service.
Corky began his NPS career as a seasonal park ranger at Great Falls Park in 1968. He was a seasonal park ranger in 1969 at Theodore Roosevelt Island and The Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. In 1969 he enlisted in the United States Air Force, with stateside assignments in Texas, Mississippi, and Michigan. He then was assigned to Athens, Greece, for three years.
Upon return from Greece in 1973, Corky began a second assignment at Great Falls Park and later was chosen for an intake ranger position on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, where he worked as the interpretive specialist until 1988. That year, he applied for the position of chief of museum and visitor services at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
"I was proud to work with Corky at the Gateway Arch, where he demonstrated his exceptional talent for focusing on strategic needs; then working out a collaborative plan to get there," says Tom Richter, chief of interpretation and education for Midwest Region. "We all owe Corky a great debt for his leadership and enthusiasm for interpretation and education through his service as NPS chief of interpretation and education. He energized and enabled the profession to create greater opportunities for visitors to find relevance and meaning in the resources of the National Park System. His management style focused on getting results and letting others often take credit for the success."
In 1993, Corky started his assignment as the chief of interpretation for Pacific Northwest Region. He then served as chief of interpretation for the NPS from 1993 to 2009 -- 16 years, 5 month, and 13 days. Under his leadership, the Comprehensive Interpretive Plan was developed, the Interpretive Development Program was established and the Benchmark Ten Award was created. He also conceived of the idea of the WebRangers program.
In 2007, Corky was instrumental in launching the Interpretation and Education Renaissance with the intent of unifying interpretive work around connecting people to parks, developing professional standards, working with partners, using technology, and creating a culture of evaluation.
In 2008 and 2009, Corky was an active participant in creating the Interpretive Media Asset (7500) to be added to the Facility Management Software System. In 2008 Corky received the Sequoia Award and the National Association for Interpretation Presidents Award.
"We all know him affectionately as 'Corky,' but it is important that we remember him as the guy who steered interpretation and education in the National Park Service through some of its most productive and creative years," sais Robert Fudge, chief of interpretation and ecuation in Northeast Region. "We can remember him as crusty and irreverent, clever and witty, provocative and caring, but he's the guy who moved mountains for interpretation, and made countless things possible for visitors, volunteers, partners and park rangers."
A native of the garden state of New Jersey, Corky has a bachelor of arts in American history from American University in Washington, D.C., and a masters degree in the same field from George Mason University. He is a founding member of the National Association for Interpretation. Corky enjoys gardening and playing poker; he's an excellent cook and a mediocre surf fisherman. He and his wife, Madeline Rose, plan to spend time in Alexandria, Virginia, and at the lake house in Monroeville, New Jersey, with occasional trips to Greece.
