DNREC Announces Two New Superintendents for Delaware State Parks

Two new superintendents appointed at Delaware State Parks include Sean Cain at Cape Henlopen and Jackie Kook at Alapocas/Wilmington state parks. DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation photo

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced the promotion of two new superintendents for Cape Henlopen and Alapocas/Wilmington state parks.

Sean Cain, who served as assistant superintendent at Cape Henlopen, advanced to the position of superintendent at the park. Cain began his career in Delaware State Parks in 2018, serving as a seasonal campground register, a boathouse attendant and fee booth attendant at Lums Pond State Park.  He joined Cape Henlopen State Park in 2019 as a campground supervisor before leaving in 2021 to become general manager of Yogi Bear Jellystone Park in Quarryville, Pennsylvania. He returned to Cape Henlopen in 2022 where he served as assistant superintendent. He earned two bachelor’s degrees in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Parks and Recreation Management from Frostburg State University. Cain is responsible for all park management, including supervising, scheduling and evaluating staff; coordinating facility maintenance, grounds keeping and comprehensive visitor service programs; managing park budgets, overseeing long-term infrastructure planning and ensuring fiscal accountability.

Jackie Kook was promoted as superintendent of Alapocas Run State Park/Wilmington State Parks after serving as assistant superintendent since 2023. Kook began her career teaching agricultural science in Delaware public schools for 16 years before joining the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation in 2018 as the manager of volunteers at Auburn Valley and Brandywine Creek state parks before becoming an administrative specialist at Alapocas Run and Wilmington state parks. Kook earned two bachelor’s degrees in Agricultural Education and History at the University of Delaware and a master’s degree in Education at Walden University. Her new responsibilities involve daily operations at both Alapocas Run and Wilmington State Parks, including administrative, maintenance, programming, volunteer, and office tasks and managing lands at Brandywine Park, Rockford Park, H. Fletcher Brown Park, Kentmere Parkway in Wilmington, the Blue Ball Barn and the Hobbs Tract, a natural area with trails and meadows, as well as athletics fields, trails, playgrounds and a rock-climbing wall.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo and the Indian River Marina.  For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Celebrating A Milestone Year
Delaware State Parks is celebrating 75 years of outdoor adventures and lasting memories. What began in 1951 with three parks has grown into a system that now includes 17 state parks, 22 nature preserves, the Brandywine Zoo and the Indian River Marina — together protecting more than 27,000 acres. In 2026, the division will honor the people, parks and partners who built this legacy and invite visitors to join in inspiring exploration, discovery and a deeper connection to the outdoors for generations to come.

Media contact: Beth Kuhles-Heiney, elizabeth.kuhlesheiney@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov