DCNR names new manager for Tuscarora, Locust Lake
SUBMITTED PHOTO - Ron Gilliland, new park manager for Tuscarora and Locust Lake state parks.
BARNESVILLE – Two state parks in our area now have a new manager.
Ron Gilliland was named manager for the Tuscarora State Park Complex, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Friday.
The complex includes both Tuscarora and Locust Lake state parks in Rush and Ryan townships.
“Ron’s breadth of knowledge and skills are a welcome addition to the Tuscarora State Park Complex,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “We are confident that his experience, passion, and commitment to service will be a tremendous asset to the park complex and the surrounding community.”
“I love it here and am grateful for the opportunity to manage these beautiful parks,” Gilliland said. “My team is focused on completing the large projects at these parks and ensuring that it is a destination for locals and visitors from all over Pennsylvania. I look forward to developing connections at this complex.”
Gilliland is a native of Butler in western Pennsylvania and credits spending time at the McConnells Mill and Moraine state parks with instilling a love for the houtdoors.
He earned associate degrees in park and recreation management and business management from Butler Community College.
DCNR says Gilliland noted that he has ‘a done little bit of everything,’ during his career, getting an early start working at his family’s auto shop, and later working at a mushroom farm.
His roles at DCNR span multiple positions, such as semi-skilled laborer, park resource ranger, wastewater treatment plant trainee, maintenance repairman, as a park manager trainee for the eastern region of DCNR’s Bureau of State Parks, and as the assistant manager at Delaware Canal State Park prior to his appointment at Tuscarora.
Gilliland’s public service also includes serving four years in the U.S. Army, which included a deployment to Iraq.
When he isn’t working, Gilliland enjoys long trips on his motorcycle, visiting national parks, hiking, and spending time with his dog, Bailey.
Tuscarora State Park spans 1,618 acres and includes the visitor’s center for the complex and the 96-acre Tuscarora Lake.
Locust Lake State Park spans 1,772 acres and includes a popular camping area and 52-acre lake.
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