At Okefenokee Swamp Park, Inc., our team is more than staff, we are storytellers, stewards, educators, and champions of one of America’s most iconic wild places. From naturalists and interpreters to operations and leadership, each member of our team brings passion, expertise, and a deep commitment to connecting people with the wonder, history, and ecological significance of the Okefenokee. Together, we work to inspire awe, foster understanding, and conserve the swamp for future generations.
Hunter Barber
Operations & Facilities Manager
Hunter first joined the Okefenokee Swamp Park in 2014 as a member of the maintenance crew. He has worked the better part of eight years with the park. During his time at OSP, Hunter has served in many capacities including, maintenance crew member, interpretive naturalist, and Assistant Manager.
Hunter has spent the past year working at the Westin Hotel on Jekyll Island (Ga) as the Director of Engineering where he maintained the facilities and was responsible for all life safety systems and
inspections for the property.
Hunter is now happy to be returning to the Okefenokee Swamp Park as the new Director of Facilities where he will be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the park and its facilities.
Hunter is the husband to Bethany and is father to Clementine and Jude. In his pastime, he enjoys sspending time in nature, playing music, and fishing.
Martin Cheatham
Director of Finance
Martin Cheatham started in March 2016 with the Okefenokee Swamp Park as the Assistant General Manager. However, after the purchase of Okefenokee Adventures, he was promoted to the role of Director of Finance for the entire Okefenokee Swamp Park, Inc. organization in January 2021. He came to the Okefenokee after a career in municipal parks & recreation with stops along the way at Effingham County Recreation & Parks in Springfield, GA and Manatee County Parks & Recreation in Bradenton, FL.
His last stop before Waycross was the City of Bremen (GA) Parks & Recreation Department where he spent over seven years, first as the Superintendent of Athletics and then as the Director of Parks & Recreation for five years. He is still active with both the National Recreation & Parks and Georgia Recreation & Parks Associations, as well as being a Certified Parks & Recreation Executive. In addition to his roles with the organization, he currently serves on the Ware County Recreation Board, is the Arts & Tourism Day Chair for Leadership Waycross and serves on the Waycross-Ware County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He is a graduate of Auburn University (Bachelor of Arts in History-2002) and twice from Georgia Southern University (Master of Science in Sport Management-2006 & Master of Business Administration-2023).
When he is not at the park he enjoys spending time with his family, wife Krista and son Luke, and their two dogs Oreo and Dolly Parton, or cheering on the Auburn University Tigers in everything. He loves working for the Okefenokee Swamp Park, Inc., because of the smiles you get to see on the faces of the guests as they experience getting to see an American Alligator up close during a family vacation or school field trip.
Jolie Hoyle
Environmental Education Coordinator
Jolie Hoyle is from Augusta, Georgia, received a B.S. in Biology from Georgia Southern University, and is currently enrolled as a graduate student with Miami University. As the child of two military members, she has had the opportunity to travel the world from a very young age but has found no place as beautiful and fascinating as the Okefenokee Swamp. She has a particular passion for wildlife and ecology and loves to use that passion to teach people about the world around them. Previously, she spent time as a naturalist at Charlie Elliott Wildlife center working with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, where she learned valuable skills as an effective environmental educator. Now, she is no stranger to the Okefenokee and is experienced with guiding tours through the swamp on kayak, boat, and train alike. She believes that education is a lifelong journey and believes that people of all ages deserve quality outdoor education.
Katie Antczak
Director of Education
Katie is the Environmental Science Education Coordinator at Okefenokee Swamp Park and the Science Specialist at the Okefenokee Regional Education Service Agency. She conducts science outreach programs for public PreK-12 schools in a 9-county area, and she is responsible for developing and conducting education programs, assisting with grant writing, and offering professional learning opportunities for educators and naturalists at the Okefenokee Swamp Park. Katie has an undergraduate degree in Forest Resources (Wildlife) from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and a Masters of Arts in Teaching Middle Grades Science and ELA from Georgia Southern University. Prior to working at the OSP and OK RESA, Katie was a 7th grade science teacher at Brantley County Middle School and has worked for the GSU Center for Wildlife Education and the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center as an education assistant and interpretive naturalist. Katie lives in Waycross, GA with her husband and two children. She is an avid birder and reader and loves spending time with her family.
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