Staff Spotlight, 2022 Division Awards at Florida Caverns State Park

Bryan Kaczmarek receives an award from Chuck Hatcher, Billy Baily, Brian Fugate and Steve Cutshaw.

Staff Spotlight, Bryan Kaczmarek

Bryan Kaczmarek is the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Service Award. The Distinguished Service Award is given to an employee who provides outstanding contributions to the division.

As the assistant park manager at Florida Caverns State Park, Bryan is a versatile employee who wears many hats. As a leader, he sets an example for other employees and volunteers and encourages them to do their best. He is typically the first one to arrive at work and the last one to leave.

Before coming to Florida Caverns, Bryan served as a park ranger and park services specialist at Lovers Key State Park. At this busy beach park in Fort Myers, he spent his days talking to visitors about the park and creating programs to help them explore and learn about the environment.

That dedication continues at Florida Caverns. He has improved the interpretive services at the park that offers more than 10,000 tours a year. Bryan has done this by training staff in a variety of subject areas and encouraging them to challenge themselves to learn and develop new programs and look for opportunities to implement them.

Congratulations to Bryan on receiving the 2022 Distinguished Service Award.

Ethan Bass receives an award from Chuck Hatcher, Billy Baily, Brian Fugate and Steve Cutshaw.

Ethan Bass receives an award from Billy Baily and Brian Fugate.

Staff Spotlight, Ethan Bass  

Ethan Bass is the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Service Award. The Distinguished Service Award is given to an employee who provides outstanding contributions to the division.

As a park ranger at Florida Caverns State Park, Ethan is always eager to assist his co-workers. He enjoys working with new staff members and making sure they get the tips and tricks for working at the park. He strives to make improvements at the park. He's a bit of a techie, so he jumps at the opportunity to resolve computer challenges.

Ethan enjoys talking with visitors. He greets campers with a welcoming attitude, delivers frequent roving interpretation programs and helps visitors enjoy their park experiences. He has a natural talent to help visitors feel welcome. Ethan’s knowledge of the plants, animals and history of the area makes him an excellent interpreter.

Congratulations to Ethan for receiving the 2022 Distinguished Service Award.

Join the state park's team!