Glen Kerns, Land maintenance Supervisor for the City of McAlester is responsible for the Parks Department. He has been with the City 37 years, beginning in 1968 as a laborer and worked his way up to his current position in 1986. He and his wife Carolyn have 3 sons.

Glen's department is responsible for all mowing and land maintenance along City right of ways and in all 13 City Parks. He has approximately 150 miles of City streets and over 100 acres of parks to maintain. In addition his crews cut and trim trees and brush on City streets and alleys, and apply all herbicides and mosquito control to city right of ways. Finally his department is responsible for putting up and taking down the Christmas decorations for the entire City.

McAlester is affiliated with a national tree organization and we have been designated at a Tree City USA. Each year we try to plant approximately 200 new trees along City right­of-ways. In 1981, with the help of the McAlester Tree Board and Oklahoma State University, the McAlester Arboretum was established at Will Rogers Park. It has now evolved into one of the largest collections of trees in Oklahoma and continues to grow yearly. Glen and his crew have incorporated into the McAlester Arboretum a Pergola and a unique Rock Waterfall. The Arboretum trail is one mile and is the only Arboretum in the State that is truly handi-cap accessible, all of our tree plaques have the Latin Name, the Common Name and the year planted in English and Braille.

In 1990 we became an Affiliate Garden with Oklahoma State University along with 13 other Cities in Oklahoma. When any new plant becomes available we are given some to plant and evaluate before they are recommended for sale to the public.