Shane Zigler is no stranger to the Florida Keys. Years ago, he worked here as a dive instructor and boat captain, but the open seas were calling.
That led to a career in Ocean Exploration, which took him around the world for months at a time. When his daughter was born, he started to feel that all the travel made him miss out on her development. So, a land-based career was decided.
He started working for the park service in 2019 at Bill Boggs State Park just weeks before COVID shut it down, but he stayed on, alone, to monitor turtle nesting.
Shane wanted to oversee his own park and soon took the job of Manager at Ft. Lauderdale’ s Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. He admitted during the interview for that job that he would most love to run John Pennekamp.
Now he has the park job of his dreams! Shane hopes to reinvigorate Pennekamp, bring in more excitement and charm. He also wants to work with the concessionaire to bring back dive classes and help make Pennekamp THE stop for diving in the Keys. A partnership with Mote Marine to put in a coral nursery is also in talks.
Shane Zigler is ready to oversee a “massive facelift” of Pennekamp over the next 3 years – new Visitors Center, restrooms and concessions will start construction in the coming year.
“Big, positive changes will bring new life” to the parks, he said, and he is up for the challenge.
