“The administrator’s job is to support the people who serve visitors every day.”
As I’ve gotten to know Bob McGill over the years, it’s clear that he cares deeply about the people who work in parks.
Bob recently retired after more than 35 years connected to Nevada State Parks, including the last seven years as administrator. While many people would view that role as the top position in the agency, Bob sees it differently. He described the administrator’s job as a support role. That perspective says a lot about his approach to leadership.
Throughout our conversation, Bob repeatedly shifted the focus away from himself and toward the people working in the parks. In his view, visitors are impacted most by the park aides, maintenance staff, interpreters, supervisors, and rangers they meet every day. The role of leadership is to make sure those employees have the tools, resources, and support they need to succeed.
That philosophy has shaped much of Nevada State Parks’ growth over the last several decades. During Bob’s career, the agency expanded from roughly 70 permanent employees to more than 160. New equipment replaced aging infrastructure, staffing increased, and parks gained additional resources to serve visitors.
Becoming an administrator was never Bob’s career goal. He planned to spend most of his career as a park ranger because he enjoyed the direct connection to the work. It wasn’t until he moved into management that he realized he could have an even greater impact by helping others accomplish their goals.
Bob also shared something that feels particularly true about park professionals. Job titles matter less than the mission. Whether it means replacing a water line, helping with a search and rescue, directing traffic, or solving a visitor problem, park staff step in where they are needed.
That may be the simplest way to describe Bob’s career and the culture he helped build in Nevada.
Park rangers do what has to be done.
And the best leaders make sure their teams have what they need to do it well.
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