Current Position: Assistant Park Manager at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park
Describe a typical day at your job.
(If there is no such thing as a typical day, then please tell us about your primary responsibilities and duties.)
As a Park Ranger at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, my primary duty is to interpret the history of the Riordan family, Flagstaff, and the American Arts and Crafts Movement for our visitors. To do this, we lead guided tours through the Riordan Mansion every day, every hour. The tours take about an hour. We also answer questions constantly. In addition, we run the park, so I am responsible for the gift shop, volunteers, bathrooms, curation, scheduling special events, staff schedules, and a variety of paperwork.
How many hours a week do you work in this position?
40 hours.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
Doing historic research and working with the public. The little lightbulb that goes on when someone sees something in the house and understands an idea I am trying to present.
What do you find to be the greatest challenges of your job?
The nature of our job is that it is always changing and each day is different. This is what makes it fun, but also what makes it challenging. I miss being able to complete sentences and thoughts!
What kind of training/schooling is required in your position?
Working with the public, customer service, experience in interpretive programs.
Is there any kind of training or general experience that you wish you had before taking your job?
Before I joined the staff here, I had years of experience in sales and marketing and customer service, as well as my coursework in my Master's Degree in History.
What are a few of the projects that you've been working on recently that have been the most interesting?
Currently we are redesigning our self-guided walk around the outside of the Mansion. We are incorporating architectural elements into the guide, as well as looking for ways to improve the visitor experience through better signage and a more thematic approach.
We just completed a project which compiled a large amount of historic information into a booklet organized for our tour guides. We arranged the materials so our tour guides can use the booklet to enhance and enrich their approach to the tour.
If someone were interested in working as a Park Ranger at a state park, what advice could you give them?
Be ready to be flexible, work hard, and have fun!
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