Park Ranger of the Year Award Nominations Accepted

The Florida Park Service Ranger Association is proud to host the 2024 Park Ranger of the Year Awards, sponsored by Tyler Technologies. This is the 3rd year of the award that recognizes exceptional Florida Park Service employees who exemplify the Ranger First attitude; Service to the land and to the public who use the land and Service Above Self.

Park visitors identify uniformed Florida Park Service employees as park rangers though their official job titles may be different. Park Ranger of the Year eligible nominees include all Florida Park Service employees regardless of their official position title. “Park rangers are the heart of Florida’s award-winning state parks,” said Donald Forgione, president of the Ranger Association, “and we want to recognize these exceptional employees who serve every day to make our state parks the very best in the nation.”

Nominations may be made online, at www.fpsra.org, until February 5, 2024. Anyone may nominate a Florida Park Service employee who was employed from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. Self- nominations are not permitted.

Nominations must include the nominator’s name and email address, the employee’s name, position, years of FPS service, park/office, a 100-word description of the employee and their role at their park/office, a 250-word description as to why the nominee exemplifies the Ranger First attitude with specific examples that demonstrate Ranger First, and a 100-word statement from someone in the nominee’s supervisory chain attesting to the worthiness of the nominee.

Nominations will be reviewed in six groups representing the five Florida Park Service districts and one group representing the District and Central offices. The first-place nominee from each of these six groups will receive the Ranger of the Year Award for their group. These employees will be invited to the Ranger Association’s Annual Meeting and 35th Anniversary Annual Gathering on April 6, 2024, at O'Leno State Park where the awards will be presented, and the statewide Park Ranger of the Year awardee announced.

Established in 1989, the Florida Park Service Ranger Association’s mission is to support those who serve Florida State Parks, past and present, by providing financial assistance, cultivating a family atmosphere, and perpetuating a spirit of unity and service. The James A. Cook Humanitarian Relief Fund, a program of the Association, was established in 1994 to provide financial assistance to past and present employees who have experienced financial hardship due to major medical expenses, major property loss, and other similar hardships. Since its inception in 1994, nearly $220,000 has been distributed to 260 individuals. The Florida Park Ranger Association is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.