MUDDY CREEK TWP — The new manager of Moraine and McConnells Mill state parks has been here before.

In the mid-2000s, Dustin Drew was a manager trainee for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in state park Region 2. During that time, he lived in a house on Pleasant Valley Road in Moraine, but did not work in the park.

“It's nice to be back,” Drew, 32, said.

He replaces Dan Bickel, who left the park in April to manage Pymatuning State Park in southwestern Crawford County. Assistant manager Jake Weiland ran the park in the interim.

Drew's first day on the job was July 27.

“I'm still learning an awful lot,” Drew said.

Before his latest assignment, he was the manager of Lackawanna State Park near Scranton.

One of the big differences between Lackawanna and Moraine and McConnells Mill is size. Lackawanna State Park is 1,445 acres, while Moraine and McConnells Mill are 19,271 acres. Moraine's Lake Arthur is 3,225 acres while Lackawanna Lake is 198 acres.

Additionally, he said that the staff at Moraine and McConnells Mill is twice as big as the staff at Lackawanna.

“There's more of everything, basically,” Drew said.

Drew said his experience running Lackawanna's lake will help at Moraine. Although Lackawanna has a lake, it does not have a marina like Moraine does.

“I've never managed a park with a marina before, so that will be something new,” Drew said.

A native of Cambria County, Drew graduated from the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown in 2003 with a bachelor's in biology.

After training, he worked at Fort Washington State Park in Montgomery County in 2005 and then became the assistant manager at Hickory Run State Park in Carbon County in 2006.

In 2009, he became manager at Lackawanna State Park.

He said that he has been busy introducing himself, learning names and faces, and getting familiar with the park's infrastructure.

“You can tell the staff really cares about the park,” Drew said.

At Moraine and McConnells Mill, one continuing project that Drew will work on is the upkeep of the parks' infrastructure.

“Some of it was put in 40, 50 years ago,” Drew said.

Weiland said that Drew has a relaxed approach and a calm demeanor. He said Drew quickly is becoming engaged in the park's operations.

“I'm really impressed with his abilities,” Weiland said.

Drew is married with four children.

Currently, Drew is living in the manager's house on park property, but his family still is living at Lackawanna. He said that they hopefully will move in with him in a few weeks.

He said he will miss working at Lackawanna.

“It was a great experience,” Drew said.

However, he said he is excited to continue his work at Moraine and McConnells Mill.

“I'm here now and I'm looking forward to building new relationships,” Drew said.