Current Position: Regional Parks Manager, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
How long have you been working in the Montana state park system and in what capacity?
I have worked for Montana State Parks for over 27 years, as a seasonal tour guide, Parks Division trainee, seasonal laborer, Park Manager and Regional Parks Manager (almost 18 years).
How did you become involved in working as a Regional Parks Manager?
I started out as a Foresty major as an undergraduate in college (University of Montana) and through classroom exposure became interested in Outdoor Recreation and Park Management. I always like dealing with people and the social aspects of Parks work.
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.)
Believe me when I say there is no typical day in my position. That is truly one of the reasons I love what I do so much. If you boil down my job, I primarily solve challenges and provide exceptional customer service. I suppport 6 site/program managers that are charged with managing units of the Montana State Park System, the regional Fishing Access Site program (90 sites), and the river recreation issues. I spend a little time in the field at the parks, FASs and on our rivers but my job is primarily a office job. I work on planning, personnel management, budgeting, customer service, relationship building, etc. Lately much of my time is being spent on River Recreation issues.
How many hours a week do you work in this position?
I try really hard to balance the various parts of my life and generally work a 40 hour week. Oftentimes in the summer, however, it is not uncommon to work 50-60 hours. These weeks are exceptions and not the norm.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
The variety of different things I have the opportunity to get involved with is very appealing to me. I enjoy the relationship building both within and external to the agency. I work with great staff. I get to live and play in Montana. What I do protects and preserves high quality natural, cultural and recreational resources that will be a legacy for future generations. I feel like it makes a difference.
What do you find to be the greatest challenges of your job?
Dealing with competing interests and trying to balance how we allocate resources. A current challenge is keeping youth interested in the outdoors.
What kind of training/schooling is required in your position?
Master's Degree in Park Management, Outdoor Recreation, Resource Conservation or similar degree. Ongoing training on an annual basis on a variety of topics from Leadership, Marketing, Media Relations, Management Skills, etc.
Is there any kind of training or general experience that you wish you had before taking your job?
I worked seasonally in the Parks field for many years both before, during, and after college. I felt I was pretty prepared to progress to positions of greater responsibility because of these years of experience. I was also blessed to have a number of outstanding supervisors in these positions who challenged me and prepared me for the profession.
What are a few of the projects that you've been working on recently that have been the most interesting?
As I said before, much of my time currently is being spent on river recreation issues, such as crowding, congestion, commercial uses, and inappropriate behaviors. We are working on implementing permits on a number of rivers and will soon be engaged in river management planning.
If someone were interested in working in your position, what advice could you give them?
My advise to anyone interested in any profession is to get a job in that profession early and continue to gather experience. Don't wait until you graduate and then expect to compete in your chosen field because others will out compete you because they will have that experience.
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