Tisha Holden selected as July 2024 Missouri Department of Natural Resources Team Memb…

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JULY 16, 2024 - Tisha Holden, a division information officer with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Office of Communications, has been selected as the department's Team Member of the Month for July 2024. She was selected for her service to the department and her willingness to assist Missouri State Parks beyond the scope of her job duties.

As part of her usual duties, Holden serves as the main media contact for Missouri State Parks, a division of the department. She also regularly prepares speaking points for division leadership and coordinates press releases and media relations for all of Missouri's state parks and historic sites. Many park events, such as groundbreaking and ribbon cutting ceremonies, include invitations to the media. Holden manages a rigorous travel schedule so she can be at these events to answer questions for the media and public in attendance. She is usually the first to arrive and last to depart events she attends.

"I have never witnessed an event where Tisha has not jumped in and performed a ton of extra work," said Dustin Young, a division risk management inspector who nominated Holden for the award. "At numerous special events, I have seen her jump right in to assist with setup and tear down, work in a kitchen or even serve as a hunting guide during a guided hunting program for veterans."

In addition to her initiative at park events, Holden is also an active CPR/First Aid and Wilderness First Aid instructor, helping educate team members on important lifesaving techniques.

"Tisha's desire to help our team be ready to save lives after an already full schedule does not go unnoticed," said Dustin Webb, director of the park system's northern region, who also nominated Holden for the award. "She doesn't have to do these extra things, but wants to so she can make a positive difference and share her knowledge with others."

Holden joined the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in October 2019 and resides in Montreal.