Smokies mechanic named Employee of the Year
Brad Roberts, maintenance mechanic supervisor for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has been named the park’s 2021 Employee of the Year.
Having worked for the park for 30 years, Roberts oversees preventative maintenance, unplanned maintenance and building project planning for the Tennessee side of the park. His leadership was instrumental in drafting and implementing a COVID safety plan for the park.
“Brad is hard-working, knowledgeable, and embodies the meaning of service,” said Acting Superintendent Alan Sumeriski. “He is a consummate professional and represents the National Park Service, the Smokies and the community well.”
Originally from Winston-Salem, Roberts began serving the Smokies as a 16-year-old, when he enrolled in the Job Corps program at the Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center. He then progressed to working as a “student in training” and landed a permanent position in 1992. He now lives in Sevierville with his wife, Karen, with whom he has four children and three grandchildren.
