Staff Spotlight, Jered Jones
Maintenance Assistant, Jered Jones
Hillsborough River State Park
Jered Jones came from Wolcott, Vermont in May 2018. On a previous visit to Florida, he fell in love with the warm weather and decided to make a new home here. It also didn’t hurt that being close to Tampa would put him near family, and eventually Hillsborough River State Park. Jered has always loved working outside and it seemed only natural to apply to work at the park, specifically with park maintenance. As a child, he grew up hiking, fishing and hunting and generally spending time in the great outdoors. To him, the quiet peace of nature and the amazing wildlife Florida has to offer are huge benefits to working in the park.
As part of our maintenance team, Jered helps maintain the lawns, fix vehicles and assist campers. He always comes to work with a smile and a positive attitude. Most of the time you can find Jered gathering supplies for the camp hosts or repairing something in the campground. He loves working with his hands, building, fixing and creating things. He also loves to meet new people, including volunteers, campers and staff. Jered has a passion for helping other and making the park beautiful for visitors to enjoy, and that’s what keep him coming back every day.
When visiting the park, Jered recommends kayaking on the river, visiting Fort Foster, and taking a long hike on the Wetlands Trail. Jered personally loves the heat of spring and summer in Florida and looks forward to working out in the sunshine. As time goes on, he hopes to one day visit all 175 of Florida amazing state parks himself, truly seeing all that Florida has to offer.