South District Ranger
Daryl Miller
Administrative Technicians
Miriam Valentine
Carolyn Reitter
Lead Mountaineering Ranger
Roger Robinson
Mountaineering Rangers
John Evans
Karen Hilton
Gordy Kito
Scott Metcalfe
Kevin Moore
Meg Perdue
Joe Reichert
Mik Shain
Resource Management Technician
Michelle O’Neil
Helicopter Manager
Dave Kreutzer
Helicopter Pilots
Jim Hood
Francisco Orlaineta
Helicopter Mechanic
Ray Touzeau
Lead Visitor Use Assistant
Maureen McLaughlin
Visitor Use Assistants
Missy Smothers
Barbara Swanson
Interpretive Rangers
Howard Carbone
Noelle Carbone
Laura Wright
SCA Interpretive Volunteer
Justin Sochacki
Mountaineering Volunteers 2001
Jim Osse
Lisa Osse
Tara Parker
John Loomis*
Paul Barendregt*
Chris Eng
George Rodway
Bob Mayer
Tom Moyer
Kirk Mauthner
Ian Sherrington
Tucker Chenoweth
Heather Sullivan
Dan Cosgro
Bob Sloezen
Mike Wood
Lloyd Athearn
Sarah Vlach
Erik Pirie
Lori Bennett
Daniel Parks
Joe Riggs
Steve Wolfe*
Ryan Davis
Melis Coady
Sara Ennenga
Weston Morrison
Nancy Juergens
Josie Garton
Dave McGivern
John Leonard
*Denotes Alaska Air
National Guard 210th Pararescuemen
Personnel Changes
Long-time Mountaineering Ranger Kevin Moore will be missed by his co-workers and by the Denali climbing community as he moves on to a new position at Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Moore began his career at Denali National Park as a Student Conservation Association volunteer in 1990, then returned to Denali in 1994 as a mountaineering ranger.
Shortly before his move to Utah, Moore was presented with a prestigious Star Award from the National Park Service honoring his extensive short-haul rescue work. Throughout his tenure in Denali, Moore performed 12 short-haul rescues on Mt McKinley and six short-hauls on the Chulitna River. These life saving missions were conducted at high altitude in sub-zero temperatures, as well as in steep terrain and swift water on the Chulitna River.
Kevin has also been instrumental in developing the search and rescue training for the park’s mountaineering rangers. His knowledge of rescue skills as well as his contributions to the PowerPoint presentations have been of tremendous value to climbers and rangers alike. With his first-hand climbing and patrolling experiences throughout the Alaska Range, Kevin has been an invaluable resource for Denali National Park and Preserve.
Also this summer, former South District Ranger J.D. Swed departed Denali National Park & Preserve for a new position as chief ranger of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Park on the shores of Lake Michigan. Swed began working at Denali in 1992, when his family moved to Alaska from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Utah. J.D.’s wife, Maureen Swed, also worked several years in the South District of Denali as an interpretive park ranger.
Swed’s major contributions as South District Ranger include the facilitation of the new Ranger Station construction and the implementation of the climber registration and special use fee programs.
Several other key personnel changes occurred within Denali National Park over the past year. Diane Chung is now the Deputy Superintendent of the park, with Nick Herring in the role of Chief Ranger. Within the South District, Daryl Miller, who has served for the past two seasons as the Acting South District Ranger is now the official South District Ranger and Roger Robinson was promoted to Supervisory Park Ranger. Gordy Kito was promoted from a seasonal ranger to a permanent mountaineering ranger. Beginning next season, Maureen McLaughlin will serve as the South District’s Administrative Assistant, a position vacated by Miriam Valentine; Miriam was promoted to the role of Division Staff Support Specialist, shifting her focus from administration to special projects and community outreach.
