VAN BUREN, Mo. -- The road Lindel Gregory took to his new position as chief ranger for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways was not a direct one.
Gregory's journey began when he was employed in a seasonal capacity in the ONSR before he moved on to work as a firefighter in parks in Montana and New Mexico. What followed next was his first permanent law enforcement job in California.
Eventually, he would return to work as a field ranger in what he considered his "home park" in Missouri's Ozarks.
"I think this is probably the first time there has ever been a chief work his way up, all the way through the field (positions), in this park," said Gregory, who took over officially Jan. 1 after filling in since October following the former chief's earlier retirement.
Most of the time, he said, the chief rangers are promoted and transfer in from other parks.
"I started as low as you can start and made it to the top law enforcement position in this park; you can't go any higher in law enforcement" than chief ranger, said Gregory, who indicated he made a decision he didn't want to move his family away from Carter County in order to be promoted.
Gregory said he believes everyone thinks about being in that "big chair, making decisions," but in the early years of his career when he was "out there getting 'em, I didn't think about what the end result of this" would be.
"At the time, it was just a fun job," he said.
Having grown up in the Harviell, Mo., area, Gregory spent time hunting, fishing and floating on Current River.
"This has been my home park, and it's where I always wanted to be, but to get back to here, I had to travel around and get my permanent status," explained Gregory. " ... I never really wanted to be in any other park."
It was while attending college in 1988 that Gregory started working as a seasonal law enforcement ranger in the park's three districts -- lower Current, upper Current and Jacks Fork.
"I worked that for a couple of years, just in the summer ... then, they offered me a winter season ... I would fight fires," Gregory said. "I did that until 1997."
It was then that Gregory moved to Mile City, Mont., east of Billings, to work as a firefighter, he said.
"From there, I went to Roswell, N.M., as a firefighter," said Gregory, who stayed there about a year. "Then, I came back here (ONSR) as a firefighter."
Gregory described his time in the Missouri park as just a "short stint" before he was offered a permanent law enforcement position in California with the Bureau of Land Management.
Gregory said he returned to Carter County to work as a field ranger in 2000 and has been here "ever since."
Gregory said he worked as a ranger for almost 15 years in the lower Current River district before being promoted to district ranger there in 2015.
As a district ranger, Gregory said, he supervised all the field rangers and operations in his area.
As chief ranger, Gregory said, he now supervises the three district rangers, a law enforcement specialist, administrative clerk and fee supervisor.
"Instead of just supervising my district, now, I supervise the entire park," Gregory said. "... The district ranger still is somewhat field based; this is more the administrative/management side of it."
Gregory said he has direct supervision over six, but also indirectly supervises all the field rangers for a total staff of about 14.
"I think that we have an awesome group of rangers in this park," Gregory said. "I would compare them to any rangers in the entire county.
" ... They're doing the job professionally and faithfully."
Gregory said he wants to make sure "our rangers are the best trained and have the best equipment we can provide for them."
As Gregory looks ahead, he believes there needs to be focus placed on the "certain problems/issues (within the park).
" ... Like any agency, we deal with our own budget shortfalls (and) shortfalls of people. ... As a group, we can work toward those (issues) and make them better."
Gregory believes his longtime service in the park will be advantageous in that regard.
"The problems, instead of learning them, I already know them," he said. " ... I always figure people, when they first get here, it takes them about a year to learn where places are in the park and people's names."
Someone has to work almost a year before "you can actually get started fixing things," he said.
"That's the unique thing; I have intimate knowledge of this park," having risen through the ranks, he said.
Gregory described his new position as being a big change.
"I've been field oriented my whole career until this point," he said. "It kind of feels like you're not really a ranger anymore."
Gregory said he intends to be prepared to "go out there and help the guys out.
"I still plan to get out in the field and pitch in" during busy times.
Gregory said he enjoys the new job.
"We have a great staff here; I work really well with the other chiefs of the other divisions," he said. " ... I think that is going to be good for the park that we can all get along, and we all do things that are good for the park."
During his nearly 30-year career, Gregory said, he has traveled extensively, especially as a member of the Midwest Region Special Event and Tactical Team.
Having been to more than 100 different parks, Gregory said, gave him a "really good perspective on the park service nationwide (and) how they do things."
Gregory said he always has loved to travel and go places, but also "wanted to be back home.
"This has always been my home. I was fortunate enough to get to stay here and travel without having to pack my family up and move them."
Gregory said he couldn't have managed the job and the traveling without the support of his wife, Angie, and their three daughters.
"It's been really an enjoyable career," said Gregory, who admits he felt frustration in the early years when he was working year to year as a seasonal employee with no benefits and no guarantee of a job the next year.
"I look back, and I think those were probably the most fun years," he said. "It was fun, no responsibilities other than just going out and getting 'em.
"That's what is different now. It's all about responsibility."
Gregory said he knew what he was getting into when he took the position.
"Hopefully, I can do it well and do my part to help the National Park Service," he said.