RUSSEL COWDEN
Human Resources Specialist
My first job for Metro Parks was as a CSI Coordinator in summer 2013. Technically, I was a seasonal maintenance technician, but for eight weeks of that summer I was going to be tasked with supervising a collection of Columbus City Schools students, dropping them off at parks and camps as well as working alongside them on various projects throughout the week.
My managers thought I was going to be “eaten alive,” but I had such a memorable and fulfilling summer I decided to come back and do it again the next year!
I worked less closely with the CSIs after I became a park ranger at Highbanks in fall 2014, but I helped out whenever I could. But once I moved into a role in HR, in March 2020, my involvement increased once again.
After two summers off during the height of the Covid shutdowns, The CSI program came back in a reduced format in 2022. When Human Resources Manager JJ Domiano and I took over the CSIs in 2023, we saw an opportunity to make a few small tweaks to help make things run a little more smoothly for the interns and the park staff alike. Our focus: more time spent under the tutelage and supervision of coordinators, more focus on projects, but with opportunities for personal and professional growth as well.
We hired more coordinators to make sure we always have coverage to drive the vans, and to make sure we have a good coordinator/intern ratio. We also wanted to focus on a personal and professional growth aspect. Every other Friday the interns participate in a “Learning Day,” where they engage with topics like personal finance, resumes and interviewing, and other life skills.
Our goal is to get a lot of work done, but it’s also to create engaged and enthusiastic ambassadors in the community. With that in mind, the interns also get a chance to experience some of the amenities and activities Metro Parks has to offer, such as kayaking with the Outdoor Adventure team or learning about the history of central Ohio agriculture at Slate Run Living Historical Farm.
While some details about the program have changed over the years, one goal has remained: To allow the interns a chance to build skills that will help them navigate not only the challenges of work and a career, but also to become more rounded people as they make their way through the challenges of life. Human Resources Director Renee Telfer recently received a message from one of this summer’s interns.
“I nailed something in the wall because we learned how to do that when we did the birdhouses at Sharon Woods. I know how now and that was cool. There are so many invasives on the highway too, I realized that as well.”
The CSIs accomplished a lot this summer, but there are many ways to measure success. We look at projects completed or the number of staff hours saved, but we also look at the community and human impact. Perhaps one of our interns will be so inspired by their experience that they decide to pursue a career in Parks, or Resource Management, or as a park ranger. Or maybe their life takes them in other directions, but with the knowledge and comfort in their ability to swing a hammer or identify an invasive species. I call it a big success either way.
