Park Ranger Jay Reese

Ranger Jay Reese is lucky enough to call Croft State Park his “home park.” Reese began his career with South Carolina State Parks in a less traditional way- as a volunteer at Croft State Park! Getting to know the park and its staffed made him realize a childhood dream to become a park ranger. For almost three years now, Reese has been living out that dream at Croft.

Reese grew up in Lawrenceville, Georgia and graduated with a degree in Business Information Systems from the University of West Georgia. Since he started with the South Carolina State Park Service, he has worked as a ranger at Croft but like many park rangers, will travel throughout the system and help with special projects at other parks. He names one of these projects as his most fun experience on the job! “I have helped with trail work in the mountains and thoroughly enjoyed it. There is nothing like hiking in the South Carolina mountains with your colleagues with snow falling, seeing some of the most amazing, picturesque settings and get paid for it,” Reese says.

We asked Reese what he find most satisfying about his job and he referenced the people he gets to interact with every day. Reese says: “To see a young child light up when you stop to talk to them, help them with their fishing pole, or hand them their Junior Ranger badge they just earned!... Not to mention when a visitor walks into your office and says, ‘This is my first time at Croft.’ I am able to get all passionate about my 7,054 acre office and what we have to offer, along with telling them about 46 other amazing South Carolina State Parks!” When asked to sum up his job in one phrase, Ranger Reese says, “Being a park ranger isn’t a job, it’s a passion for life and life doesn’t get any better than this.” We think his passion for his park and his job as a park ranger shows! Thank you, Ranger Reese, for all that you do!