Dustin Young selected as September 2026 Missouri Department of Natural Resources Team Member of the Month
Dustin Young, a safety specialist with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Division of State Parks, is the department’s Team Member of the Month for September 2026. He was selected for his service to the department and for his efforts to develop comprehensive safety training for division field staff.
As part of his usual duties, Young was tasked with planning the yearly 3-day Safety Academy training for Division of State Parks team members. In 2025, the department contracted an OSHA-certified instructor to provide the safety portion of the training seminar. Given the cost associated with an outside instructor, Young sought out and gained certification to provide the safety portion of the training on his own at future seminars.
In February 2026, the department hosted a revamped Safety Academy at Lake of the Ozarks State Park for 30 participants, featuring Young as the lead instructor. The new training seminar incorporated content that was interactive and more relevant for state park field crews compared to previous training seminars. As an example of the improved content, Young collaborated with the division’s Natural Resource Management Program to develop a standardized basic chainsaw training program.
“Dustin did all of the legwork to find a certification program and create new training materials, including videos and interactive games,” said Rebecca Young, the program director of the Safety and Wellness Program within the department’s Division of State Parks, who nominated Dustin Young for the award. “Not only did he create a better training experience for our team, he also saved the department nearly $10,000 in fees for outside instructors.”
Dustin Young joined the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in April 2012 and resides in Falcon.
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