Ozark National Scenic Riverways has named a new chief ranger.
Carter County resident Lindel Gregory begins his new assignment this month following the retirement of Dennis Weiland last year. He has served as the lower Current district ranger since 2015.
Gregory has been a National Park Ranger for the past 29 years, with experience as a park ranger and wildland firefighter in several national parks and land management areas. He began his National Park Service (NPS) career in 1988 as a seasonal law enforcement ranger at Ozark Riverways. After several summers as a seasonal ranger, he began work on the wildland fire crew during the winter months and continued to work seasonally in both law enforcement and wildland fire for nine years.
After gaining permanent status as a law enforcement ranger for the Bureau of Land Management, Gregory returned to Ozark Riverways in 2000. He serves as the Field Training Lead for several national parks in Missouri and Arkansas.
In 2017, Gregory served in a four-month temporary assignment as the chief ranger at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. He was formerly the team leader for the Midwest Region Special Event and Tactical Team, of which he was a member for 17 years. He is also a member of Ozark Riverways’ Search and Rescue team, with experience in high-angle and swift water rescue.
Gregory is a native of southeast Missouri and grew up hunting, fishing and floating the Current River. He lives on a small farm in Carter County with his wife and three daughters.
For more information, visit the park’s Facebook page or the park’s website at www.nps.gov/ozar.