09-21 | Texas State Parks Director Rodney Franklin Honored with Distinguished Service Award from America’s State Parks

Sept. 21, 2026

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NEW ORLEANS — At the closing banquet of the National Association of State Parks Directors (NASPD) conference on Thursday, Texas State Parks Director Rodney Franklin was honored with the Distinguished Service Award from America’s State Parks.

Franklin, who just recently earned his 35-year service award from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), has used his time and talents to advance conservation and park management not only in Texas but across the country, stewarding parks for future generations. The award is the highest honor America’s State Parks bestows, given to a state park director with a long-term, sustained record of professional accomplishment and leadership. Honorees are selected by a committee of state park directors from across the country.

“The sky is the limit when someone believes in you, rallies behind you and encourages you like Rodney,” said Region 5 Director Shannon Blalock, who used to manage a park under Franklin’s leadership. “His ability to communicate hard things with kindness built a trust that I work hard each day to recreate with my own team. I value him greatly because of his humility and emotional IQ, something I try to emulate in my own interactions.”

“He listens without judgment,” added Blalock, “offers guidance in a constructive and encouraging way, and treats every interaction, no matter how much noise exists in his world, like it’s the most important conversation of the day.”

“Rodney truly cares about all of us as human beings, and he leans into that connection first,” said Blalock. “He will always show up for people and that’s something the world needs more of. He’s truly one-of-a-kind, and we are so blessed to have him leading the way for State Parks.”

As a teenager in Paris, Texas, he started an entry-level job at a local historic site before moving to a park manager role at a state park. Later, he promoted to a complex superintendent position, then regional director, deputy director of the division, and has now served the Texas State Parks system as director for eight years. In addition to rising in the ranks in the Texas system, he served as the vice chair of NASPD for one year before becoming the chair in September 2024.

As the Director of the Texas State Parks Division for TPWD, Franklin oversees about 1,400 employees, 650,000 acres of protected public land, 91 state parks with more on the way, roughly 10 million annual visitors and helps create $891 million in economic activity across the state. In 2023, Franklin led the system to a National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management, marking it as one of the premier park networks in the United States, all while spearheading the highly successful “100 Years of Texas State Parks” centennial initiative the same year.

“In Texas State Parks, we are the living embodiment of our core values and agency mission,” remarked Franklin to Texas State Parks staff during their annual conference this summer. “You serve, you lead, you teach, you celebrate each other, you treat each other respectfully, you steward special places and you make me proud every day. I am so honored to be a part of this wonderful State Parks team and ensuring that we always stay gold and state parks strong!”