Fiery Gizzard State Park

George Shinn was drawn to the plateau from his home state of Texas over twenty years ago, after graduating from college with a degree in Fine Arts. George took a job at Fall Creek Falls State Park in 1996, teaching arts and crafts as a seasonal park ranger.  This position led to a full time position as the Park Naturalist, operating the park's Environmental Education Center.  George then took the opportunity to become a Park Ranger, and was assigned to the Bicentennial Mall State Park in Nashville.  He worked there for one year before becoming the Park Ranger at Savage Gulf State Natural Area.  “Everything I dreamed a park ranger does, is there at Savage”, says George of his time at Savage Gulf.  “Once I arrived, I never wanted to leave”.  In 2013, the South Cumberland State Park manager went out indefinitely on sick leave. The park needed a leader, and George stepped up to become its Interim Park Manager.  In October of 2016, George was promoted to Park Manager. In this position, George is determined to make this a great park with the best staff.  He is excited about the direction the park is taking and has established a goal of making South Cumberland the "crown jewel" of the Tennessee State Park System. George's hero is Davy Crockett, who he re-enacts, in full costume, at many South Cumberland State Park events. George's wife, Jessica, is from Van Buren County, TN and the couple has made their home in Tennessee since they met in 1993.  They are the mostly proud parents of their two teenagers, Katherine and William.

Hannah Sheley, originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, says she knew that she wanted to be a Park Ranger when she was in high school and had the opportunity to intern at Panther Creek State Park.  "I took time after graduating high school to work for the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) as their head guide on the French Broad River. After 6 seasons with NOC, I started my college career at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where I earned my degree in Forestry with a concentration in Wildland Recreation," Hannah explains.  During her last two summers of college, she worked as a Seasonal Interpretive Recreator (SIR) at Big Ridge State Park and Cumberland Mountain State Park. Hannah adds, "being an SIR was an amazing opportunity, as I learned a lot about Tennessee State Parks and about being a Ranger.  I love all things outdoors, but my favorite hobbies are hiking, kayaking and whitewater rafting. I'm so happy to have achieved my dream of becoming a Park Ranger, and I'm excited to start my career as a Ranger at a place as incredible as South Cumberland!"

From an early age Jason would seek out the wild spaces in, behind and sometimes underneath the Nashville neighborhoods where he grew up.  Drainage ditches were his river-cut canyons, bridge pilings served as rock climbing spires, manhole covers were the secret entrances to hidden "caves" beneath the city streets, and a black Diamond-Back BMX bike was his trusty steed. With 16 came a driver's license and trips to the real woods and actual rock bluffs commenced at once.  Throughout high school and college years Jason would visit the wilds of the Cumberland Plateau whenever possible.  Cookeville would be home for nine years and where he would meet his future wife Cari, and graduate from Tennessee Tech.  His degree in Horticulture served him well but the wilderness called, so in 2002 State Park Ranger became his chosen profession. After working at Standing Stone, Tims Ford, and Henry Horton, he joined South Cumberland in 2003.  Jason and Cari currently live near Sewanee where they enjoy camping, bridge hunting, movies, truck rides with their dogs, and general exploration of the countryside (and the occasional drainage ditch).

Jessie is a Texas Native, but has lived in Tennessee since 1999. She attended the University of Tennessee at Martin where she was President of the Student Activities Council and a sorority girl (yes, you read that right, a Sorority Girl Park Ranger!). She recently completed EMT-B school at Landmark Learning in North Carolina. Her Tennessee State Park career began as a seasonal Boat Dock attendant job at Montgomery Bell State Park in 2009, where she also later became a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger. Since then, she has worked at Paris Landing and Reelfoot Lake State Parks, also as a Seasonal Ranger. In 2014, Park Manager George Shinn took a chance and gave this petite sorority girl the opportunity to show the world what a Lady Ranger could do by hiring her full-time at South Cumberland State Park.  Jessie enjoys paddling, reading, hiking, obsessing over super heroes, being social and chasing Pokémon.

Ryan hails from Livingston, Tennessee. As a youngster, his backyard playground was Standing Stone State Park, specifically, somewhere in the creek, searching for crayfish or looking for snakes. Ryan graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies. He became interested in pursuing a career with Tennessee State Parks, first by volunteering during weekends at Cummins Falls State Park. He later became a seasonal Ranger at Henry Horton State Park, and from there moved to the Tennessee State Parks' Central Office in Nashville. However, Ryan was eager to work in a park with abundant hiking, backpacking, and the recreation activities, and he had his heart set on South Cumberland State Park. After first applying for a seasonal (summer) job, Ryan was beyond excited to land a Tennessee State Park Ranger position in our amazing park! Ryan enjoys many forms of outdoor recreation, from backpacking and camping to snowboarding and mountain biking.