My Park Story: Donny Plassman

Donny ready to rappel.

NPS/Donny Plassman

Where are you from? What was your pathway to the National Park Service (NPS)?

I’m from just south of Detroit, an area called Downriver. My pathway to NPS was pretty convoluted. I got a degree in English from the University of Michigan, and then spent a while in a factory working on a line and doing industrial maintenance. After a bunch of deaths in my family in very short order, I reprioritized and quit the factory, ate up my savings volunteering at a local botanical garden, and got myself into the seasonal academy in Rangely, Colorado. Turns out that being outside is a lot better for your mental health than a windowless factory filled with poison dust.

What interested you in the National Park Service?

I had quite a few vacations as a kid to Glen Canyon, the beauty of which really stuck with me. It’s where I work now. Also, my brother got bit by a rattlesnake there and nearly died, so lots of great memories.

What do you do for NPS?

I’m a Law Enforcement Ranger for the Marine District at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. I spend a lot of time on the water driving a boat and performing boat related activities.

What do you find most rewarding about your job?

I like solving problems and helping others. Sharing a moment with visitors who are having the best day of their life is really rewarding; So is helping the visitors who are having the worst day of their life.

What advice do you have for youth and young adults thinking about a career at NPS?

Follow these simple step by step instructions:

1. Go outside.

2. Eat some beef jerky. Or, like, apple slices or something.

3. Hike in the rain.

4. Look at a star.

5. Believe in yourself and see yourself as part of a great mission. You can do it!

6. If step five doesn’t work out at first, go back to step 1.

Do you have any hobbies outside of the NPS?

I have a little boat that I take out from time to time. My other hobbies include cooking, checking my shoes for scorpions, listening to Japanese Samba music, and walking around in the desert. Travel too. I like visiting historic hotels that have cocktail lounges filled with taxidermy.

Do you remember the first park you visited?

I visited Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan when I was pretty young and had a nice smoked fish picnic on the beach.

What is your background? College? Study?

Among other things, I have worked in industrial maintenance, distilled whiskey, installed solar panels, dry cleaned, and waited tables before working for
NPS. Amazing what you can do with a degree in English from the University of Michigan.

Any favorite or funny memories of the job?

It’s hard to pick one! I’m having a blast.