Gov. Kelly Armstrong appointed Tony Hillig, recreation division chief for the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department, as the agency’s new director, effective immediately.
Hillig has served as chief of the department’s recreation division since December 2020, overseeing recreation grants, trail management, motorized recreation and safety programs statewide. He joined the department in 2019 as motorized recreation coordinator after a military career spanning more than 25 years in the U.S. Army, during which he served in senior command sergeant major roles at Fort Carson, Colo., progressing from brigade-level to division-level leadership. A Bismarck native, he holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Troy University in Alabama.
“With more than 32 years in the military and state government, Tony has proven to be a strong and capable leader and problem-solver,” Armstrong said. “Under his guidance, Parks and Recreation will continue to provide the high level of service and quality outdoor experiences our citizens have come to know and expect.”
“North Dakota is blessed with a beautifully diverse and highly accessible system of parks and recreation areas, and I look forward to building on past successes and addressing future challenges to ensure these special places are well-maintained for generations to come,” Hillig said.
Hillig succeeds Cody Schulz, who transitioned to chief financial officer of the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Schulz had led the parks department since October 2021.
The department oversees 14 state parks and recreation areas, including Pembina Gorge State Park, which officially opened in June as the first new state park in North Dakota since 1989. The agency operates with a two-year budget of $62 million and employs 76 full-time staff along with approximately 400 seasonal workers annually.