ONSR superintendent to retire, replacement has not been named

VAN BUREN — The superintendent for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways will retire Jan. 3, after 42 years of federal service.

Larry Johnson has been superintendent for the Van Buren-headquarted park since 2015. A retirement luncheon will be held at noon Dec. 20, at park headquarters in Van Buren, according to a press release. Guests can R.S.V.P. by calling 573-323-4852.

Applications for an interim superintendent are being taken through Monday, Riverways staff said.

Johnson says he is extremely proud of his time at the Riverways, during which he led the park through an extensive recovery effort following the devastating flood of April 2017. He guided the initial emergency response, as well as the longer-term planning efforts for rebuilding, the NPS reports.

“While the flood was devastating, it gave us the opportunity to hit the reset button and improve sustainability with flood resistant structures,” Johnson said in a press release. “The work has gone well with many projects funded, completed or in the queue for the next few years. Things are moving forward, so now is a good time for me to step away.”

Johnson and Jan, his wife of 38 years, will stay in the Van Buren area for a time before ultimately settling down in Iowa to be close to their family. Meanwhile, Johnson says he looks forward to more exploration of the area, spending more time researching family history and hiking and biking area trails.

A native of Iowa, Johnson has been with the National Park Service for the past 36 years. In 2019, he was honored with the Regional Director’s Superior Service Award.

Johnson donned his first NPS uniform in 1983, when he moved to Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in Iowa as a supervisory park technician. That first NPS assignment was the beginning of a long career as an NPS law enforcement ranger, chief ranger and superintendent, the NPS reported.

Johnson served in many national park units, including Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Yellowstone National Park, Voyageurs National Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, Badlands National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument.

He ultimately served at the Riverways twice during his career, both as chief ranger and, later, superintendent.

Johnson says he was inspired to become a national park ranger at a young age.

When he was 12 and visiting Mammoth Cave National Park with his mother, her fear of heights caused her to freeze while climbing the open staircase out of the cave.

“I was impressed with the way that ranger helped my mother. He was very calm and talked her through it. I knew then that I wanted to do the same type of thing eventually. Plus, I really liked the flat hat,” Johnson says.

Through his career, Johnson attained a number of specialized certifications that provided him with opportunities to uniquely experience national parks while serving visitors. He graduated from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center with his law enforcement commission, which he held for 27 years. He maintained certification as an emergency medical technician for over 30 years. At Apostle Islands, he became an NPS SCUBA diver and helped build the park’s diving program, managing shipwreck archeology projects with East Carolina University Underwater Archeology Field School students. The safety record of the diving program helped earn him the Midwest Regional Safety Achievement Award.

Johnson went on to serve as the park SCUBA Diving Officer at Yellowstone, and discovered an underwater geyser during a training dive, which became apparent as the geyser erupted around him, he said. He also earned his Coast Guard Captain’s License and his private pilot license. Later, he became a Department of Interior motorboat operator instructor, snowmobile instructor and trained as a back-up park ranger pilot at Voyageurs.

Johnson said he takes great pride in the special assignments he accepted, including the Midwest Regional Special Events Team, NPS Medical Review Board, Midwest Leadership Council, Superintendent Leadership Roundtable, National Capital Region Emergency Medical Services Coordinator and providing security for high level dignitaries after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Johnson received several honors during his career. At Yellowstone, he received a Superintendent’s Commendation for helping to save four lives in a boating accident on Lewis Lake. While at Voyageurs, Johnson was honored to receive the Midwest Regional “Harry Yount Award”, for excellence in the “Art and Science of Rangering.”