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Cody Tingey
Cody Tingey
01:15

Cody Tingey

Nevada Division of State Parks

Ely, NV USA

"You can’t stay in the same place you’re in forever. You’re either moving forward or moving backward."

Career Roadmap

Cody's work combines: Environment & Nature, Non-Profit Organizations, and Teaching / Mentoring

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Day In The Life

Eastern Region Manager, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

I organize and manage the overall operation and maintenance of State Parks in the Eastern Region.

01:06

Day In The Life Of A State Park Manager

My Day to Day

In Nevada State Parks, we have many different responsibilities and most days are never the same. In day to day operations, we manage campgrounds, provide visitor services to provide the special "Park Experience" our visitors are looking for, we manage visitor centers, build and maintain trails, maintain facilities, provide safety and security for our visitors, maintain and develop landscapes, protect cultural and natural resources, and interpret all aspects of park resources.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

I made a commitment to go and finish my education and didn't let anything get in my way to ensure that happened. Fortunately, my job was willing to let me keep working while I went back to school. However, if they weren't willing to support my decision, I would have found another way, even if that meant finding a new job that would allow me to go back to school.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Agriculture, General

    Southern Utah University

  • Certification

    Category 1 Peace Officer

    Nevada Peace Officers Standards Training

  • Certification

    State Parks Leadership School, National Association of State Park Directors & North Carolina State University

Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Eastern Region Manager, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources:

High School

Bachelor's Degree: Natural Resources/Conservation, General

Certification: Nevada Peace Officers Standards Training

Learn more about different paths to this career

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life has been direct

  • 1.

    I grew up in Utah doing a lot of outdoor activities, including hiking, hunting, fishing, skiing, and horseback riding.

  • 2.

    After graduating high school, I considered majoring in biology because of my love for the outdoors.

  • 3.

    I headed down the natural resources path and especially liked botany—I always assumed I would end up in an outdoor career.

  • 4.

    I started with the Nevada Division of State Parks as an emergency hire and dropped out of college with three semesters left.

  • 5.

    I worked for the State Parks for a few years but eventually wasn’t able to move up any further without a degree, so I made the decision to go back to school to finish my degree.

  • 6.

    Southern Utah University didn’t have an outdoor recreation program at the time, so they took my experience and custom-built a program for me based around natural resources and agriculture.

  • 7.

    I ended up graduating with a Bachelor of Science in agriculture with an emphasis in natural resources.

  • 8.

    I continued to work my way up the ladder within the Nevada State Parks and currently work as the eastern region manager—I manage all of the parks along the eastern side of Nevada.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Peers:

    It will be too difficult to go back and finish your degree.

  • How I responded:

    I made a commitment to go and finish my education and didn't let anything get in my way to ensure that happened. Fortunately, my job was willing to let me keep working while I went back to school. However, if they weren't willing to support my decision, I would have found another way, even if that meant finding a new job that would allow me to go back to school.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

Click to expand

  • I started working without finishing my degree but I eventually hit a wall and couldn't be promoted anymore without that degree. I ended up going back to school while continuing to work full-time. It was difficult at times but it was very worth it.

  • I took a job as northern region manager and had to live 6-7 hours away from my wife and kids for over a year. It was really hard but my family made a commitment to each other to stay close emotionally. We would talk or FaceTime daily.