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July 2025 Spotlight Professional

Chelsea Kapica – Park Operations Lead Ranger with Snohomish County Parks


Describe the scope of your position in parks and recreation.

I am a Park Operations Lead Ranger with Snohomish County Parks. In my position I oversee operations in the south region of Snohomish County which encompasses the county parks and undeveloped properties East-West from Index to Edmonds, and North-South of the King County line to Everett. My position entails setting work project priorities with my team, tracking and following up on park trends, and addressing challenges and complaints as they arise. In addition to these duties, I train our rangers in defensive tactics, de-escalation techniques, assist with background investigations for hiring of new park rangers, and serve as a field training officer in our Ranger Training Program.

How long have you been with your present agency?

I have served Snohomish County for almost 12 years.

What did you do before your previous role? (Background experience and previous careers)

Prior to becoming a park ranger, I worked as a seasonal park aide with Washington State Parks for 3 summer seasons while also working at Applebee’s.

How have you participated in WRPA?

WRPA has been a great training and networking resource for myself and my team. I have attended conferences and have formed great connections that have only helped improve our department.

What inspires you about the parks and recreation field?

What inspires me about parks & recreation is that we provide spaces in the community where everyone feels safe and welcome to play, relax and connect. As our state’s population grows, I believe that these spaces are becoming more important than ever to safeguard and protect for future generations. I am reminded of how blessed I am to work in these spaces when witnessing the joy of a child catching their first fish, seeing visitors enjoying a spectacular sunset after a long week and settling in the calmness it brings, and educating visitors about the flora, fauna and wildlife.

What is one creative solution you and your team have applied to a professional challenge?

Our team serves an ever-growing population in Snohomish County. One of our biggest challenges has been holding the parks to our high standards of care with a high number of daily visitors. We are very dedicated, and even more passionate about the cleanliness, upkeep and safety in our parks, so it can be challenging to not have the staff or resources to keep up the standards we’ve set for ourselves. One solution we’ve found is when possible, dedicating a day or two to one park at a time for park beautification and needed maintenance. It may take us away from other daily park checks, but allows us to feel like we are getting ahead versus treading water.

Considering what you’ve learned throughout your career, what advice would you share with someone starting out in the parks and recreation field?

The advice that I’ve given new park rangers over the years has been that the parks will be here tomorrow. To me, this means do what you can with today and remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. With how many different hats we wear, it can feel overwhelming and sometimes defeating to complete all the tasks you wish to accomplish in a day.
A quote by Alan Watts reassures me to give myself some grace in this fast-paced job: “No amount of anxiety makes any difference to anything that is going to happen.” I would also remind new staff to give yourself some grace, knowing that you cannot possibly be an expert in your field overnight. Be open minded, be present, connect with park visitors, ask good questions, and remember to take care of yourself by developing a heathy work-life balance.

What is one of your favorite moments as a parks and recreation professional?  What was your job title?

One of my favorite moments as a parks and recreation professional has been seeing the professional and personal growth in our teammates. Personal development has always been a passion of mine. I have served as a field training officer to newly hired park rangers in our department, and it has brought me immense joy seeing their growth from being completely “green” in the field to truly honing their craft after field training. It has been extremely rewarding to know that I had an influence in helping someone else grow and learn in this field and carry on the passion of serving parks to others.