Glenn Gibbons, pictured in uniform holding the plaque, is joined by fellow Yosemite National Park employees. Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher is at the far right.

Photo credit: NPS Photo

June 16. 2015 - Yosemite National Park Ranger Glen Gibbons was honored on Thursday, June 11, 2015 with the Barry Hance Memorial Award. Gibbons, a Park Ranger at the Arch Rock entrance station, received the park’s highest honor in front of several hundred Yosemite National Park employees. Since 2000, he has provided accurate information with a smile at the park’s third busiest entrance station. He was recognized for his genuinely warm and inviting demeanor of visitors and community members.

“In my job, I get to practice being kind to people a thousand times a week. It’s the desire to care for others that ultimately defines who we are. In the end, it’s how we treat one another that makes a life worthwhile” Gibbons remarked after accepting the award.

Gibbons is sometimes the only National Park Service Ranger that visitors encounter during their stay in the park. He recognizes this and makes sure each and every visitor to Yosemite National Park feels informed and welcomed. Even on the busiest days, Gibbons manages to makes each visitor feel special.

Yosemite National Park employees nominate fellow employees for the annual Barry Hance Memorial Award. Gibbons is well-known for his grace, positive energy, and total willingness to help others at all times. At the award ceremony, he received several standing ovations from park employees.

The award is named in honor of Barry Hance, a long-term Facilities Management employee who died in an avalanche while plowing the Tioga Road in 1995. This award is given annually to employees who exemplify the qualities and attributes of Barry Hance. These include a positive attitude, a concern for fellow employees, a willingness to work with other divisions in the park, getting the job done, and a love for Yosemite National Park.