Lincoln Historic Site

Lincoln County Resident to Head Lincoln State Monument

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2013

MEDIA CONTACT


The Department of Cultural Affairs’ State Monument Division has selected Gary Cozzens as the manager for Lincoln State Monument. Cozzens comes to the Monuments with a background of history and historical preservation and will begin his position on February 4, 2013. 

“Gary brings the leadership qualities and the commitment to nearby history that are so important to the work in historic Lincoln,” said Richard Sims, State Monuments Director.  “He has a strong team there that will only improve under his management.”

Cozzens has served as the manager for career and technical education, distance learning and emergency management for Region IX Education Cooperative in Ruidoso, NM.  He has been active in historical preservation and was recognized with the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation in 2011.

“I am committed to preserving and protecting this critical site of New Mexico and providing all visitors with an exciting educational experience, Cozzens said. “I plan on making this a site of community-based leadership and partnership.”

Cozzens has been the President of the Lincoln County Historical Society; Vice President of the Fort Stanton, Inc. Board of Directors; and, Assistant Coordinator of the Lincoln County Site Watch Program.  He has a Bachelor’s of Science in History and Political Science from Eastern New Mexico University.  He is a military veteran, serving in the Marine Corps from 1978 - 99, including Operation Desert Storm.

There are currently seven State Monuments open to the public - Coronado in Bernalillo, Jemez near Jemez Springs, El Camino International Heritage Center, south of Socorro, Lincoln and Fort Stanton in Lincoln County, the Bosque Redondo Memorial at Ft. Sumner, and Fort Selden in Radium Springs. The Taylor Barela Reynolds Mesilla facility is held in a living trust.

The Department of Cultural Affairs is New Mexico’s cultural steward and is charged with preserving and showcasing the state’s cultural riches. With its eight museums, eight historic monuments, arts, archaeology, historic preservation and library programs, the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs is the largest state cultural agency in the nation. Together, the facilities, programs and services of the Department support a $3.3 billion cultural industry in New Mexico.

Media Contact:

Steve Cantrell, PR Manager

505-476-1144

steve.cantrell@state.nm.us



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