Current Position: Park Supervisor II
How long have you been with the Nevada Division of State Parks and in what capacity?
I have been with NDSP for 7 1/2 years. I first worked as a Park Ranger in Ely, Nevada for 4 years and then was promoted to Park Supervisor at Washoe Lake State Park in north western Nevada. Two years later, Washoe Lake also absorbed Dayton State park into its operations. I have been a Park Supervisor for 3 1/2 years.
How did you become interested in working as a Park Supervisor?
Outdoor activaties have always been a love of mine ever since I was a little boy. Growing up I knew I wanted to have a job that both had outdoor aspects and protected nature. What better job than that of a Park Ranger. After college I applied to every state park west of the Rockies and the first one that gave me an interview was Nevada.
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.)
You guessed it there is not a typical day. I oversee all of the operations at Dayton and Washoe Lake State Parks, including law enforcement.
How many hours a week do you work in this position?
Approximately 40 during the winter months and 60+ during the summer months.
What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?
I enjoy the children the most. Many youth today do not get many opportunities to get to the "great outdoors." By providing and exciting and knowledgeable experience, I hope to be able to make the outdoors something that all youth incorporate into their adult lives. I really enjoy seeing their eyes light up with wonder when they see something for the first time like a baby owl or a weird looking plant.
What do you find to be the greatest challenges of your job?
The greatest challenge is the many roles that you are responsible for (the many hats you wear). As an Law Enforcement supervisor, the Peace Officer aspects of the position can be dangerous and time consuming. If you match this with other ranger duties like interpretation, supervising employees, natural resource management, recreation management, maintenance, EMS services, and administrative paperwork, this job can sometimes seem daunting. However, the rewards are endless and the excitement factor is that you never do the same thing in a day.
What kind of training/schooling is required in your position?
It requires a four-year degree relating to natural resource or recreation field. You also need need to have the ability to obtain/maintain a Standard Peace Officer Certification (I am currently Intermediate POST certified).
Is there any kind of training or general experience that you wish you had before taking your job?
I would have liked to have more police and interpretive training. These are the two most common aspects of my position that require specialized time and knowledge above my current degree in Natural Resources.
What are a few of the projects that you've been working on recently that have been the most interesting?
I have been involved in a recruitment and retention program for Nevada State Parks. Helping to determine areas for improvements and increasing the satisfaction level of employees in a career that I love is very rewarding.
In the parks we have been eradicating noxious weeds through a strategic plan, I have been involved in a New Master Plan for Dayton and we are gearing up for our seasonal interpretive programs, which are both fun and successful.
If someone were interested in working in your position, what advice could you give them?
Get as much training in as many different things as you possibly can. Park Ranger positions are competitive and also in need of highly qualified candidates. Try to determine what track of ranger you want to be (i.e. Law Enforcement, non-Law Enforcement and Interpretive) and pursue a career track of education. The sky is the limit when you think of all of the tasks you are assigned. You may rescue someone one day, provide CPR the next and on the third day give a guided nature hike to an elementary school. Some national and state park rangers even fly helicopters.
Please share any further thoughts you may have about working in the state park system:
It is a wonderful, rewarding, challenging and difficult career. I would not change it for the world.
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