Staff Spotlight, Ronald Stevens
Park Ranger, Ronald Stevens
Alafia River State Park
Ronald Stevens has been a park ranger with the Florida Park Service for almost 10 years. Even though his career path has not always been with the park service, his goals and key roles as a successful business owner for over 24 years focused on the “Big 5” - maintenance, administration, resource management, protection and visitor satisfaction.
Ranger Stevens led the volunteer program for Alafia River State Park from 2011 to 2019 and managed over 20,000 hours of volunteers through Boy Scouts, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Bright Futures Scholarship, college internships and Camp Fire USA, just to name a few.
He currently leads the safety team at the park, which includes performing maintenance and inspections to reinforce the safety of all park facilities, vehicles and equipment.
In his early years, Ronald took courses in Wildlife Management and Soil Conservation, attended Forestry School at O’Leno State Park in High Springs, and earned his Associate's Degree in Business Administration and his Florida Real Estate Brokers License. Recently, Ronald became a Licensed Florida Stormwater, Erosion and Sedimentation Control Inspector.
Ranger Ronald's favorite quote is: "Many people dream of being a park ranger. Some get a chance to achieve their dream by getting the title, but even fewer actually live the dream. Because being a ranger does not come from the title, it comes from the soul. I am a park ranger by title, I am a park ranger down to my soul. It is evident in my attitude. This is not just my job, it is not just my career: it is my lifestyle."