Our semi-regular guest host, Phil Gains, retired Director of South Carolina State Parks joins us.

We are in a historical and unprecedented time. With most state parks closed for an extended period, we will begin to see leaders emerge or be exposed. As leaders, you don't need to have all of the answers. You need to know how to deal and communicate in a way that communicates the values found in park culture. Consistency, integrity, empathy, and the prioritization of health and safety are key when you find yourself in a crisis without precedent.

Parks is a people business and now, more than ever, leaders must position themselves to care for people. Reach out, document the experience and find time to care for yourself so are able to care of others.

Phil Gaines returns on-site at Lake Tahoe to discuss how to stay relevant in an ever-changing world.

Speaking from a local perspective, Phil talks about the importance of taking care of watersheds, providing outdoor recreation, and understanding location. For instance, while water supply is abundant in the southeast, in California the mindset is different since limitation is more a cultural norm.

As for staying relevant, while technology and networking are important, knowing the needs of your surroundings is also key. Especially in times of crisis and uncertainty, understanding capacity is vital to land and water resource protection. In short, while staying relevant involves adapting and evolving, it's ultimately incomplete if the mindset isn't filtered through current issues and settings.

Donald Forgione, Director of Florida State Parks, discusses his background and what it means to be "Ranger First".

After starting his career as a Park Ranger with Florida State Parks, Forgione transitioned to Director, a role he admits he didn't expect to land. During this time, he developed a special tagline, "Ranger First", to remind himself and others how the responsibilities of a park ranger go beyond title.

As Forgione explains, behaviors and values speak louder than words in the park business. Though responsibilities change over time, the humility and pride of being a ranger should never waver.

On this special episode of the Park Leader Show, Dan Cockerell, and former VP of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, and Lee Cockerell, retired Executive Vice President of Walt Disney World, talk about how to handle a crisis.

Here are four steps to keep in mind while dealing with a crisis:

Safety First. Before anything else, the safety of employees, customers, and yourself comes before anything else.

Deal with the Facts. During a crisis people get emotional. People speculate and gossip. You should deal only with the facts when you communicate with people.

Be Empathetic. Everybody is dealing with a crisis in different ways for different reasons. Understand people are worried.

Use the situation to get better. You and your organization can learn plenty from a crisis. Use it as a training opportunity.

During a crisis, your culture is on show for everyone to see. Your actions should match your words. What you say doesn't build a culture. Culture is built through actions.

Jim Bryson, Deputy Commissioner of Parks and Conservation of Tennessee State Parks, discusses the benefit of leaning on your team and the importance of innovation in how you handle communication across your organization.

Joining Tennessee State Parks from a corporate background in marketing research, Jim has discovered how central building a culture of trust within your organization is. As a leader, you set the pillars and vision, and you lean on your staff to fill in the how to your why. Being confident in your leadership allows you to pull from the experience of those around you.

Jim also shares his experience in starting the first internal podcast dedicated to communication and recognition within the Tennessee State Park staff. As leaders, communicating across a widespread team can be challenging, but it is imperative for building a strong organization. By taping into the deeply held passion for the mission and sharing wins and initiatives, you can meet three key needs: provide information, entertainment, and recognition.

Today's social media-driven culture is saturated with negativity, politics and sales pitches. From Glacier National Park, Jeff Noel and Jody Maberry discuss the impact of Jody's "Minute in Nature" moments on Instagram Stories.

Pausing to capture a minute of beauty in nature is a way of taking a moment and quieting ourselves. As Jody shares today, being intentional to put some positivity into the world is good for the soul and can help expose more people to the beauty that is found in the great outdoors, especially national parks.

Join the #minuteinnature movement and share your own minute in nature with the world.

Phil Gaines returns to discuss family issues within park leadership.

For many park leaders with families, the relocations associated with the job can be taxing. In some cases, the move can be beneficial for the ranger, but not necessarily the family. According to Gaines, since ranger families are often the face of the family park experience, it's important to know how to establish harmony and positive representation.

For instance, with succession planning and employee retention, parker leaders should factor their family into these endeavors to boost morale and accountability. After all, in a changing social climate where spouses are breadwinners and school transitions are complicated, bridging family strategy into employee strategy can reap beneficial dividends.

Dan Bortner, Director of Indiana State Parks, discusses the "business" side of parks and the importance of fostering a healthy paradigm within your team.

In the parks business, you must understand that your business is memory-making. Your product is a consistent experience across some of the most unique locations your state has to offer. Whether empowering the leaders under you or working with them to create a brand, building trust goes a long in setting the destination.

Dan also discussed the value of surrounding yourself with integrity - honest people who may or may not be better than you. As leaders, it's essential we not only empower our team to solve problems and make decisions but provide the method, the manpower and the materials needed to get the job done. In all things, it's important to understand you are here for a brief amount of time and your goal must be to do the best you can while you are here.

Grady Spann, Director of Arkansas State Parks, discusses the importance of trust in all aspects of park management and leadership.

After growing up in Brazil, receiving his degree, and serving in the army, Grady started his state park tenure as a Superintendent of an archeological park in Arkansas. Serving as the superintendent of multiple parks, the lessons he's learned have served him well in his current role as Director of Arkansas State Parks. The importance of trust has proven a recurring theme, whether facilitating stadium events or hosting the State Parks Directors conference.

Regardless of the position, stewarding the trust of your customer, be it a camper, sports fan or visiting State Park Director, is paramount with serving in a parks program. Park leadership is not just about making changes – it's about being a public servant. Embracing the Ranger First initiative recognizes that rangers deal with many things: hospitality, customer experience, and critical incidents. In each case, they have a different mental approach. Above all, trust in the context of park management and leadership is about honoring the trust you have.

Ryan Jenkins, Park Manager at Henry Horton State Park, discusses his upbringing, his love for nature, and current projects.

Raised in a National Forest Service family, Ryan pursued music and business in college before rediscovering his love for parks in his late 20's. Since then, he has been active in promoting health initiatives involving park activities.

One activity in particular, Healthy Parks Healthy Person, has been largely successful. Launched in 2015, the Healthy Parks Healthy Person is a stamp card program allowing app users to earn rewards based on their park activity. These points can then be redeemed as discounts and other benefits from participating businesses.

The big-picture goal, as Ryan explains, "We just want to get people outside for their health. We want to create behavior change with this application. In order to do that, we utilize the gamification and technology…to try to get people into our parks."