(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana's Department of Natural Resources is celebrating the retirement of Terry Coleman after more than 40 years of public service, including a key chapter of his career at Pokagon State Park.
Coleman began his career at Pokagon in 1979 as an intermittent employee and returned as a full-time staff member in 1984 after graduating from Ball State University. He later rose into leadership roles across Indiana's state park system, but Pokagon remained the place where his career took shape and where he first took on management responsibilities.
Over the decades, Coleman went on to serve in park management across Indiana, eventually becoming North Region Manager, Deputy Director of Operations and later Director of Indiana State Parks. He retires as Deputy Director of Administration, closing out a career defined by leadership, mentorship and a deep commitment to Indiana's natural resources.
Indiana State Parks officials credited Coleman's time at Pokagon as foundational, noting that his passion for park guests and preservation was evident from the start and carried through every role he held.