Steve Oneail
Detective / Safety Services Ranger

Hometown
Sylvania OH

First Job
Paperboy for the Toledo Blade

Achievement you are most proud of, career or other
I love being a part of the Metroparks Team that provides, great outdoor experiences for it visitors 365 days a year.  It’s great to have one of the world’s most diverse jobs in a park system where people want to come to have fun! 

Dream Trip
My dream trip would be to take my family to see some of the Western US National Parks, like Yellowstone, The Grand Tetons, and The Grand Canyon. My parents used to take me out west on month-long camping trips as a kid, and I’d really like to share the out west experience with my family. The trip would revolve around camping, hiking, and fishing opportunities.

Notable pet
Our most notable pet is “Tilly” our adopted Chihuahua.

What is something few know about you?
From the age of 10 until 21, I was a speed roller and Inline skater. I competed across the country winning State, Regional, and National awards.  I also got the opportunity to compete and train at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

What brought you to Metroparks?
My mom was a longtime volunteer at the Manor House at Wildwood Preserve, through her park contacts, I was able to get involved and complete a community service program that led to a seasonal maintenance job at Wildwood Preserve. Now it’s going on to be a 31-year career at Metroparks.

Your favorite park visited?
I love all of the unique experiences our Metroparks has to offer, and have visited many of the National Parks out west, but my family’s favorite park that we visit yearly is the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. The park in Northwest Michigan offers great camping, fishing, and boating opportunities, plenty of wildlife sightings, beautiful scenic rivers, and sand dunes that overlook miles of sandy beaches along the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s truly an outdoorsman’s paradise.