Welcome to Tom Downs!

Hello! I was selected as the new program manager for Interpretation, Education, and Outreach for Missouri National Recreational River this past summer.

My responsibilities include:

• developing and evaluating the effectiveness of interpretive and educational programming,
• managing outreach with park partnerships, and
• broadening public support for the preservation and protection of park resources, so that they may be enjoyed by present and future generations.

My career in the National Park Service began in 2003 with my first job as a seasonal park ranger at George Washington Memorial Parkway along the Potomac River. My second seasonal park ranger job took me to Towson, MD, where I worked at Hampton National Historic Site interpreting slavery for the first time in my life. From there, I got my big break and was hired to work on the National Mall in Washington, DC as a permanent ranger for the National Park Service! I interpreted our nation’s history for six years at the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

Working on the National Mall was an extraordinary experience in so many ways—from interpreting tough chapters of our history to working huge special events like the Cherry Blossom Festivals, the Fourth of July Celebrations, and presidential inaugurations. One of my biggest highlights was working as the NPS chair for the nationally televised National Symphony Orchestra Concerts on the West Lawn of the Capitol building. During those two years, I was lucky enough to provide celebrities like Gary Sinise with tours of the Mall, and I even got to meet the late General Colin Powell at one of the concerts.

Following my time in our nation’s capital, I was hired as an interpretive park ranger with the U.S. Corps of Engineers at the Bay Model Visitor Center in Sausalito, CA, so I moved to the Bay Area in CA to chase down and marry the love of my life, Ranger Tammi, who I met while working in DC.Two years later we moved again for a supervisory ranger position to interpret Abraham Lincoln’s amazing life at Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, IL, where we celebrated the arrival our first child,Alexander, in 2014.Three years later we moved to Death Valley National Park for a District Ranger position, where geology, survival, and the stars dominated the interpretive themes.Two years of survival later, we moved to Charleston, SC for my previous position, Deputy Chief of Interpretation, at Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, where we celebrated the arrival of our daughter, Isabella, in 2017. Interpretation was meaningful at Fort Sumter. Slavery and the causation of the American Civil War were brought into the light during my watch.

I am super excited about my new position here at MNRR and I look forward to cultivating relationships for the park while managing the park’s interpretation, education, and outreach. I hope to have continued success with our partnerships and programming as I get my boots securely attached to the banks of the Mighty Mo. Thank you to everyone who has already welcomed me and my family to the park and to the area, we are excited to become part of this community! Midwestern hospitality is second to none. We are truly excited to start this new chapter here with the MNRR family and their partners and friends! See you around!