Meet the Rangers and Staff
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George Shinn
Park Manager 2 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. |
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Bill Knapp
Assistant Park Manager Bill rejoined the team at South Cumberland State Park in the fall of 2016, coming from the Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park. Prior to his tenure at Davy Crockett, Bill worked at SCSP under then-park manager John Christof. Bill, like George, enjoys historic re-enactment and interpretation. He regularly delights park visitors and school groups with his re-enactment as "Flint Knapp," a typical Tennessee pioneer, proficient in the ways of the black powder rifle and bow drill fire-starting. Bill, his wife and children now make their home near Altamont, Tennessee. |
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John Ball
Park Ranger 2 John has a degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Outdoor Recreation. He has loved South Cumberland State Park since he started backpacking and climbing there in college. As far as his motivations and interests go, the great legendary John Muir said it best, “As long as I live, I'll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I'll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I'll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can.” |
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Murray Gheesling
Park Ranger 2 Murray Gheesling grew up playing in the woods behind his home in Marietta, Georgia. He has a business degree from MTSU and a Master’s degree in Natural Resource Systems Management from the University of Tennessee at Martin. He worked as a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger at Savage Gulf in 2005 and later worked with Division of Forestry in Grundy County as a seasonal employee. From 2006 to 2015 he worked as a Park Ranger at the Hiwassee/Ocoee Rivers State Park. Murray was excited to have the opportunity to come back to Savage Gulf as a Park Ranger in 2015. Outside of work, Murray and his wife mostly do "kid stuff" with their two young daughters. |
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James Holland
Park Ranger 2 James Holland is a native of South Pittsburg, Tennessee and has a deep love for mountains and wilderness areas. He and his wife, Abbey, are blessed with three sons who also love the outdoors. James has a Bachelor of Science degree from U.T.C. and is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War. He has a background in natural resources policing and has completed E.M.T. training. James' interests include studying edible and medicinal plants, practicing bushcraft and primitive living skills. |
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Jessie McNeel
Park Ranger 2 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 minute sorority girl a chance 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. |
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Aaron Reid
Park Ranger 2 Aaron Reid was born and raised in Dunlap, Tennessee. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University in 2008 with a degree in Civil Engineering. Aaron developed a deep love and appreciation of parks in the United States by traveling with his family across the nation during his youth. They made habit of hiking, camping, kayaking, and rafting each summer and any other time they had the chance. Aaron first joined the South Cumberland team as a seasonal ranger at Savage Gulf in 2009, and when a position opened at Stone Door, he knew it was the perfect place for him. Aaron’s hobbies include running, hiking and traveling with his wife. His longest race to date is a 50K trail run! He currently lives in Beersheba Springs with his wife Jessica, who teaches Spanish at Grundy County High School. |
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Jason Reynolds
Park Ranger 2 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). |
Welcome Seasonal Interpretive Ranger Spencer Baxter!
Spencer Baxter is back for the 2018 season as one of the park's Seasonal Interpretation Rangers. Currently studying at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to earn a B.S. in Geology with a minor in Geography, Spencer is excited about his assignments in the many gorges and overlooks in South Cumberland State Park, which are are a perfect fit his interests. An avid rock climber and backpacker with a deep appreciation for Tennessee State Parks, Spencer loves nothing more than to be out on the trails exploring the natural beauty around him with anyone he meets. He will be working extensively with Ranger John Ball and our Friends volunteers to continue work on the Denny Falls trail this summer.
Park Staff wins TDEC's 2016 Resource Management Award
SCSP Mgr. George Shinn (center left) and Assistant Mgr. Bill Knapp (center right) receiving TDEC's 2016 "Excellence in Resource Management" Award in Nashville.
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The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) recognized South Cumberland State Park for Excellence in Resource Management, for park staff’s work to improve trails, combat invasive pests and provide richer recreation experiences for visitors over the past year.
“All 56 Tennessee State Parks strive and succeed in achieving our mission to preserve and protect unique examples of natural, cultural and scenic areas,” said TDEC Deputy Commissioner of Parks and Conservation Brock Hill. “But South Cumberland went above and beyond in 2016 thanks to the talent and skills of park staff that protected more land and created a better visitor experience.” »» Read the full text of the news release. |
