Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism ​

Shea Lewis was appointed as Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism and Director of State Parks in August 2023 by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The Governor appointed Lewis as Interim Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism in June. Shea was selected as the 10th director of Arkansas State Parks in 2022. In that role, he was responsible for the day-to-day operation of 52 state parks found in 48 counties, covering 55,000 acres across the state. With over 9 million visitors on an annual basis, his areas of responsibility ranged from operations, maintenance, planning, development, emergency and program services, marketing, promotion, revenue, sales, outdoor grants, and general administration. Shea started his career with Arkansas State Parks as a seasonal park interpreter in 1995. With nearly three decades under his belt, he has also served as a full-time interpreter, park superintendent, region supervisor, and deputy director for Arkansas State Parks. He received a bachelor’s degree in parks, recreation, and leisure studies from the University of Memphis and a master’s degree in educational/instructional media design from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.