Q Are there some characteristics you find in people who have been successful in this division? A There are really two answers to that -- one is the ideal and one is what really happens. You are looking for someone with the specific skill and experience. It would be ideal if you could combine that with the park ethic, but the world doesn't work like that. In our division, it is more important for the person to be skilled at their job than to be a preservationist. The ethics of maintenance within the national park are maybe a little different than the other divisions because we take a lot of pride in doing the technical job right. It's subtly different than being an interpreter. QWhy do you think that someone who isn't a preservationist would be interested in working for a national park? A I think generally we are a pretty good employer because we pay competitive rates and are relatively secure. Once you are permanent you get retirement benefits. QIf you had to do it again, would you work for the park system? A Yes, this job fits me perrfectly. It's h ard to find an engineering job where you can combine doing technical engineering and operations with the idealism of all you work going to preserve this wonderful park. In the parks, we the employees feel a tremendous amount of pride of ownership. We always have a lot of seasonal work -- it's not a bad way to spend a summer.