Florida State Park Manager Kevin Patton Recognized as Jim Stevenson Resource Manager of the Year

Kevin Patton: 2023 Recipient of the Jim Stevenson Resource Manager of the Year Award

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is proud to announce Kevin Patton, park manager of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, as a recipient of the 2023 Jim Stevenson Resource Manager of the Year Award. Patton, who has served with the Florida Park Service for 39 years, is being honored for his exceptional stewardship of state lands and his ongoing commitment to land management and conservation. 

“Conserving Florida for future generations requires the dedication of talented leaders who inspire others to care about our natural resources and work to protect it,” said Florida State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher. “Kevin Patton is an accomplished professional who sets the standard for what can be achieved in land management.”  

Throughout his distinguished career with the Florida Park Service, Patton has worked at several state parks, focusing on the preservation and restoration of the state’s invaluable natural resources. His fire management accomplishments are particularly notable, with 292 prescribed burns and wildfire responses that have covered more than 35,700 acres.  

During his time as the manager of Ochlockonee River State Park and Bald Point State Park, Patton revitalized the prescribed fire programs in areas with significant wildland/urban interfaces and highly complex fire needs. At Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, Kevin initiated a grassroots restoration project to restore the upland pine natural community. Most recently, as park manager at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Kevin oversaw the installation of 1,770 feet of low-water crossings to improve wetlands across 60 acres at the park. 

In addition to his land management accomplishments, Kevin has been instrumental in mentoring the next generation of resource managers. Under his leadership, six of his employees at his last three parks have become burn bosses, while many others have advanced into key management roles.  

The Resource Manager of the Year award is named in honor of James A. Stevenson, who led the state's ecosystem management, prescribed burning, non-native plant control and springs protection efforts during his tenure with DEP’s Florida Park Service and Division of State Lands. Each year, this prestigious award recognizes land managers from DEP, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Florida Forest Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication to the protection and management of Florida’s natural resources. 

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