Land Between the Lakes, Ky/Tenn.- November 13, 2023 – Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is excited to announce the return of former employee James “Jim” McCoy as the new area supervisor.“I’m excited and honored to return to Land Between the Lakes,” said McCoy. “We have a fantastic team of professionals here and I look forward to serving this great community again.”
McCoy began his USDA Forest Service career in 1998. In addition to his time at Land Between the Lakes, he’s served in a variety of roles at the Ouchita National Forest and Ozark-St. Francis National Forests in Arkansas and Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana.
McCoy served as the fire management officer here from 2003 to 2011 and continues to be involved in wildland fire as a division supervisor. He just completed an assignment with the Forest’s Service Southern Region office as acting chief of staff.
McCoy is a U.S. Army veteran and earned his bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife biology from Arkansas Tech University. He has extensive training in National Environmental Policy Act, wildland fire, and change leadership.
While both McCoy and his wife, Leslie, hail from the Arkansas Delta, they plan to settle nearby in Draffenville, Kentucky. Together they have six children.
The McCoys believe in the mission of the Forest Service. When not at work, they enjoy camping, canoeing, fishing, and traveling across the country visiting family and friends in their small camper.
McCoy officially began his duties at Golden Pond, October 10.
Land Between the Lakes is a national recreation area in the Forest Service’s Southern Region, encompassing more than 170,000 acres of forest, wetlands, and open lands. Located in Western Kentucky and Tennessee, this inland peninsula sits between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.