Michigan parks and conservation leader receives national honor

Ron Olson, one of Michigan's most passionate outdoor recreation and conservation advocates, earned another national accolade last week: the Honorable Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal for Parks and Conservation.

Recently retired chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division, Olson received the prestigious Pugsley Medal during the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration's annual awards dinner in Orlando, Florida. The medal recognizes contributions to the promotion and development of public parks and conservation in the United States. The inaugural Pugsley Medals were awarded in 1928.

In presenting the 2025 Pugsley Medal to Olson, Pugsley Committee Chair Elizabeth S. Kessler remarked, “We are proud to honor Ron as a visionary leader and steadfast advocate for parks, open spaces and conservation. His lifelong dedication and achievements have left a lasting impact throughout Michigan. The Academy is proud to join with the National Park Foundation and Davey Tree to recognize
his remarkable leadership and contributions with this distinguished honor.”

Olson, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, spent the bulk of his career leading park systems in Maryland and Michigan, including 20 years as Michigan DNR parks and recreation chief. During his tenure, Olson helped:

• Guide the implementation of the Recreation Passport to replace the old window sticker for vehicle entry to Michigan state parks – a move creating cost savings for individual parkgoers while establishing a more consistent source of operating revenue.
• Reimagine Michigan’s 140 state forest campgrounds and the state trails system and added capacity to address a spike in visitation, which increased from 28 million visits to 36 million over a brief time.
• Secure $270 million in federal American Recovery Funds to modernize the state parks and recreation system, the single greatest investment in the system in its 106-year history.
• Oversee the system's growth from 97 to 104 state parks, adding unique facilities such as the Outdoor Adventure Center in Detroit and new state parks in Detroit and Flint.

"I am humbled to receive this great honor, standing on the shoulders of the many iconic, visionary parks and recreation professionals who have been recognized over the past years," said Olson. "Thanks to my family, the DNR's great staff and teams, and the numerous partners and fellow parks and recreation professionals and officials who believed in me and made our agencies better."

DNR Director Scott Bowen seconded the honor and praised Olson's record of team-building, statewide vision and relentless tenacity.

“When you look at all that Ron and his staff have accomplished, you see an unflagging commitment to delivering quality visitor experiences and finding new, creative ways to protect the natural and historical resources that so often are a key part of those experiences," Bowen said. "Ron built a career rooted in a love of the outdoors and an ability to see beyond limits, and Michigan's parks and recreation legacy is the better for it."

Learn more about Michigan state parks, trails and waterways and get inspiration for your next outdoor adventure on the DNR's Things to Do page.

More information about the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration is available at AAPRA.org.

Accompanying photos from the award presentation and Olson's career are available below for download. Caption information follows.

• AAPRA award: Pugsley Committee Chair Elizabeth S. Kessler presents Ron Olson, (now retired) chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, with the Honorable Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal for Parks and Conservation.
• Belle Isle Conservatory: Amanda Treadwell, DNR urban park planner; Ron Olson, (now retired) chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division; and Jeremy Spell, DNR-PRD horticulturist, celebrate the December 2024 reopening of the Belle Isle Conservatory in Detroit following a $12 million renovation.
• Graduation: Ron Olson, (now retired) chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' Parks and Recreation Division, celebrates with graduates of the National Association of State Park Directors' State Park Leadership School in 2024. Olson was a regent and instructor for the school.
• Pedestrian bridge: The Ronald A. Olson Island Bridge, a pedestrian bridge over the Tahquamenon River in Tahquamenon Falls State Park, officially opened to visitors in May 2022. The bridge, which connects the mainland to an island in the rapids, was named in honor of Olson's 20 years leading the DNR Parks and Recreation Division.
• Recreation Passport: A bus wrapped with Recreation Passport graphics and pictures of nature scenes and people enjoying the outdoors is parked in front of the Michigan Capitol during a September 2010 program kickoff.