Spotlight: At home in the outdoors
With a sincere love for the outdoors and a knack for dealing with people, John Castle was always meant to work at a place such as the Coralville Reservoir.
It started out as a summer job back in 1977. But that gig soon turned into a full-time career.
"I'm kind of a rare case, really, to have pretty much been at the same site my whole career," he said.
The 55-year-old became operations manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1991, and he said many things have become routine. But that doesn't stop him from continuing to enjoy the job.
"It's like most jobs — the higher you go, the further you get from what interested you in the first place. You move into the office and administrative parts of it," he said. "It's still fun dealing with people … everybody's out here to have fun."
Castle grew up in Mount Morris, Ill., which he describes as a typical small town. Although he has moved to Iowa, he still visits family in Illinois frequently.
The former ranger graduated from Iowa State University in the fall of 1976 with a degree in outdoor recreation, shortly before meeting the woman who became his wife, Donna.
"We met at a get-together," she said. "We just kind of worked."
The Castles have been married for around 30 years and have two sons who are both attending Kirkwood Community College.
Castle realizes the large tasks he takes on as the operations manager, saying that he is in charge of pretty much everything — including the dam, flood control, recreation, and natural resources.
"Ultimately, I'm responsible for all of that, but I have a really good staff that takes care of the details," he said.
In addition, he reads ranger reports, takes on any issue of concern, works with the budget, and continually deals with different individuals.
He greatly appreciates his staff, and the appreciation is reciprocated, said Randy Haas, the chief ranger of the Reservoir.
"He has an open-door policy," Haas said. "Anyone can walk in anytime and talk to him about anything."
Castle says that even as a teenager, he saw himself working in the outdoors, no matter what he ended up doing for a career. He confirmed this characteristic after working in a printing plant during the summers in between his high-school years.
"That's not an environment for me," he said. "I couldn't be in a factory, inside all the time."
Spending time outdoors is one of the things that he and his wife enjoy, including hiking, walking, and biking. They also share an interest for current events, his wife said.
People close to Castle agree he is a hard-working man and an overall great person.
"John's a very nice individual. He helps other people [and] has a great sense of humor," Haas said.
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