April 16, 2009
Vol. 39, No. 164

Contact: Necia Beck, Delaware State Parks, 302-739-9175, Necia.Beck@state.de.us

Delaware State Parks’ Cultural Resources Chief Awarded
 Governor’s Tourism Recognition for Individual Achievement 

BRIDGEVILLE, Del. – Leland C. Jennings Jr., Delaware State Parks Chief of Cultural Resources, was named to the Roy Klein Tourism Hall of Fame for Individual Achievement at the Governor’s Tourism Summit on April 2 at Heritage Shores Club in Bridgeville. The award recognizes an individual’s long-term contribution to tourism through volunteer efforts, connecting his or her work to the tourism industry, or involving an organization in tourism. 

During his tenure at Delaware State Parks, which began in 1993, Jennings developed an award-winning living history program at Fort Delaware State Park involving first-person re-enactors who assume the character of prisoners-of-war, soldiers and civilians who lived at the Fort during the Civil War and present interactive demonstrations and events to the public. Jennings was also responsible for bringing the cast of the popular television show Ghost Hunters to the Fort for a seven-hour live Halloween episode at the park in 2008.

Jennings’ research resulted in the nomination of the Fort Miles Historical Area in Cape Henlopen State Park to the National Register of Historic Places. Jennings has worked to restore a gun battery and many of the buildings at Fort Miles. In 2007, Jennings’ work with World War II veteran Horace Knowles convinced national news network CNN to film an interview with Knowles at Fort Miles which was broadcast nationally on V-E Day 2007. Jennings has also co-authored a book about Fort Miles with Dr. Gary Wray, a 2007 Governors Tourism Award winner, the proceeds of which he returns to Fort Miles. 

Delaware State Parks have enjoyed a significant increase in attendance due to the diverse programs that Lee Jennings has developed and the professional staff that he has helped train.

“The work that Lee has done has improved the visitor experience at Delaware State Parks and helped to fulfill the Division’s mission to bring quality resource-based interpretive and educational services to Delaware,” said Delaware State Parks Director Charles A. Salkin.