NATCHEZ — On the last day of the National Park Service Southeast Region leadership council meeting, one of Natchez’s own received the 2017 Southeast Region Park Employee of The Year Award.

Jeff Mansell, Natchez National Historical Park’s historian, received the award Thursday.

The awarding happened at Natchez Historic Foundation at the last event of a three-day regional leadership council meeting for the NPS Southeast Region.

Mansell won out above employees of 60 other parks in the Southeast Region.

Mansell received several letters of recommendation for the award, many of which were from his colleagues at the Natchez National Historical Park.

Kathleen Bond, superintendent at Natchez National Historical Park, said Mansell was a hardworking example of what every park employee should be.

“Jeff is exemplary,” she said. “He is knowledgeable, passionate and enthusiastic.”

In his recognition, Southeast Regional Director Stan Austin touted Mansell’s work on the Natchez History Minute project, which produced a minute-long video each day for every year of Natchez’s tricentennial.

Austin said the video series drew attention both in Natchez and around the country.

The Natchez History Minute project won an “Achieving Relevance” award with the NPS Southeast Region in June.

Mansell coordinated the production of the videos, which highlighted a historical moment in Natchez’s history each day of 2016.

Mansell’s job was to harmonize the approximately 350 people who contributed to the project.

Because the National Park Service’s Calendar Year begins and ends in October, the award for the 2017 park employee of the year was only delivered on Thursday.

Mansell, a Mississippi native, returned to Natchez after living in St. Louis and has been working at the Historical Park for approximately five years, Bond said.