Staff Spotlight, Rick Mulligan
Park Ranger, Rick Mulligan
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park
Rick Mulligan was born and raised in the Bronx, a world away from Cross Creek, Florida. He received an A.A. from Broward College and then entered the University of Florida to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in journalism. It comes as no surprise that Rick has a strong background in the written and spoken word.
After college, he worked briefly for the United Press International when it was in its final days as a wire service. He then took a job as communications manager for the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce and over his 17-year tenure worked his way up to become the executive director and president of the organization. After his chamber career, Rick was hired by Cox Communications as the communications and government affairs director. He left Cox as the vice president of the Central Florida system for community and government affairs. His last stop before stepping into semi-retirement was as the executive director of the Alachua County Education Foundation.
Rick has served at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park as a part-time tour guide for six years, stepping into the full-time park ranger position for nine months when a park ranger was on maternity leave. Rick loves conducting tours and relating the story of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings to the many visitors who feel the pull to come to see where this writer lived and worked. “I owe it to them to tell them who she was, what she endured and how she was inspired by living in this primitive setting, as well as the great literary success she achieved in this country and around the world. I believe our visitors come here wanting to understand those things” Rick says.
Rick exudes his passion in every task he takes on, from giving the historic house tours, mowing and landscaping, to tenderly caring for the grove and providing even more loving care to the park’s resident ducks and chickens. Rick goes out of his way to share his knowledge and appreciation of not only the literary works of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, but her farm as well.
Be sure to come out and say hello to Rick the next time you visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park.