Auburn grad named director of Alabama State Parks

This past fall, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) named Auburn University alumnus Matthew Capps as the new director of Alabama State Parks.

Since graduating from Auburn in 2009, Capps’ path to the state park system has been anything but linear. He has worked in various arenas of recreation and landscape management, including the private sector, municipal government, city government, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the nonprofit sector.

“Working in city parks, you’re managing the expenses, while on the nonprofit side, you’re also managing the income and constantly fundraising and writing grants; then working in the private sector provided a lot of critical experience in managing teams,” Capps said. “Many people think Alabama State Parks is funded through tax dollars, but we’re not — we actually run it like a business. So, all my previous positions have really prepared me to be successful in this role.”

As director of Alabama State Parks, Capps oversees 21 state parks, three golf courses and over 48,000 acres of state recreation land that attract over 6.2 million visitors each year.

Problem solving with plants

Capps graduated with a bachelor’s degree in ornamental horticulture from the College of Agriculture and a Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) from the College of Architecture, Design and Construction. When he entered the MLA program, his undergraduate education meant he already had a wealth of knowledge about plant species, and from there, his graduate work in design theory set him on a course for success.

“The landscape architecture program was really geared toward the theoretical side of design, so we were studying urban planning and community planning and how to build cities,” he said. “One thing I loved about landscape architecture and what Auburn was able to provide me with was the ability to think about a project or a problem and come up with a unique solution.”

Capps graduated during the country’s economic downturn, a time when landscape architects were not necessarily in demand. His master’s thesis focused on the work of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, a federal/state partnership that matches NOAA resources with state academic institutions, including Auburn. Since he had studied how communities can be more resilient and better prepare for natural disasters, the consortium hired him as NOAA’s climate and resilient engagement specialist.

That job led to positions with the community of Dauphin Island, the city of Mobile and, eventually, the state of Alabama.

Building resilient parks

Now, Capps’ focus is on improving the state parks system’s visitor experience. While Alabama State Parks’ operations are entirely funded by user fees, there is currently funding available for improvements, thanks to an $80 million bond approved by Alabama voters in 2022.

Capps is grateful that the commissioner of DCNR, Chris Blankenship, got the bond on the ballot and that the state’s citizens voted in favor of it. That funding has enabled him to apply his experience in resiliency research to the land he now oversees.

“If a storm happens, especially near the Gulf Coast, our business can be severely impacted,” he said. “We need to diversify our revenue, continue to be transparent in how we operate and really set ourselves up for success by completing the projects that make us more sustainable.” 

One current project is increasing camping opportunities at several of the state’s parks, including the construction of 100 new campsites at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores. Capps says that since the park’s campground typically maintains 80 to 90% occupancy rates year-round, it makes sense to add more sites there.

“That area is elevated, and it is a very resilient landscape,” he said. “That’s a great opportunity for us to add additional revenue in a popular park.”

Other efforts he’s overseeing include a new lodge with beautiful sunset views at Cheaha State Park in Delta, a location where lodging is very much in demand, and two new improvement projects at Chewacla State Park in Auburn. Alabama State Parks staff just completed installing a new playground next to Chewacla Lake and are developing plans for an outdoor event center at the back of the park near the waterfall.

Building for the future

In addition to construction and improvement projects, one of Capps’ top priorities is strengthening the pipeline of future talent within the park system. With many employees approaching retirement, he is focused on preserving their accumulated knowledge and preparing the next generation of park professionals, which includes current college students. At Auburn, he visits classes as a guest speaker, hires interns and stays in close communication with faculty in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment’s Parks and Recreation Management program.

Since his predecessor, Greg Lein, is an Auburn alumnus, Capps suspects the next director may also come from their alma mater.

“One of my hopes is to continue the Auburn tradition and eventually pass the torch to the next Auburn graduate,” Capps said. “The outdoor industry is thriving in Alabama, and we're working to build our talent pool within the state parks. Our goal is to equip current students with the tools they need to succeed, and I’m committed to giving back by providing them with opportunities however I can.”

Any park will do

When he was hired as deputy director of Alabama State Parks three years ago, Capps started traveling the state with his wife and two daughters, trying to visit as many of the 21 parks as possible, and they were surprised by what they found.

“When I asked where I should I go first, everyone said Cathedral Caverns, just north of Guntersville, and I was blown away,” he said. “I didn’t realize that we have incredible, world-renowned cave features in Alabama. Joe Wheeler State Park is another one of my favorites, and DeSoto is great because of its proximity to the Mentone area, which is a beautiful, artsy community.”

While he knows them all well, he has a hard time answering the age-old question: which one is his favorite?

“I can never answer that, because I can’t pick just one,” he said. “We like to look at our state parks as a basecamp for families to come stay, play and explore. I encourage everyone to get outside and make core memories with their family and friends at any of our great parks.”