ServiceWear Apparel has announced that Carol Windsor, a park ranger at the Petrified Forest National Park, as the 2017 Service Spotlight Park Ranger of the Year. This national award honors a park ranger who shows exemplary service in preserving and protecting the nation’s scenic, historic and natural splendor for the benefit of citizens and future generations. Windsor was selected as a finalist for the Service Spotlight Park Ranger of the Year award from nominations from across the country. The award winner was nominated in recognition of her willingness to go over and above the call of duty. Windsor has worked at the Petrified Forest as a park ranger for the past five years. She started as a teacher/ranger in her first year but as her special abilities became apparent, she earned a promotion to park guide. Her abilities as an equestrian were instrumental in keeping the mounted Horse Patrol alive and well when the program was under consideration for dissolution. The Horse Patrol is one of the drawing points at the Petrified Forest as children and even adults love to see the mounted patrols. Many have never had the opportunity to be that close to such beautiful animals. Along with patrols and teaching Windsor also uses the horses to check on fencing and move cattle out of the park. A lot of care goes into keeping the horses healthy and in top condition; Windsor provides this care at the park in the summer and then takes the horses home with her and cares for them throughout the winter months. In the off-season, Carol Windsor works as the third through eighth grade special education teacher at Concho Elementary School. ServiceWear Apparel’s Chief Development Officer, Jim Burnett, presented the award to Windsor at Petrified Forest National Park last month. Many of the park’s volunteers and family members attended the event. “Ranger Windsor is very deserving of this honor,” Burnett said. “She embodies exactly what we had in mind when we created this award.”
