In 1971, Candelaria held his first environmental job as an intern with the Weyerhaeuser Company, where he conducted regeneration studies, tree measurements, and logging operations. Seeking further forestry experiences, he became a recreation guard for the U.S. Forest Service in 1973, where he was required to maintain campgrounds in the backcountry of the Cascade Mountains in Washington and engage with visitors. After graduating from Oregon State, he worked at Bonneville Power in Portland, Oregon, and worked as a forester.

In 1975, Candelaria started working with the National Park Service (NPS) as an intake Park Ranger at Saratoga National Historical Park in New York. In 1977, he moved to Ozark National Scenic Riverways Park in Missouri. Candelaria began working at Sitka National Historical Park in Alaska in 1979, attracted by the opportunity to work in a small park.

In 1990, Candelaria returned to the lower 48 to be the Superintendent at the Fort Laramie National Historic Site in Wyoming. He later worked as Aide-de_camp for National Parks Director Roger Kennedy. He also was the Acting Assistant Superintendent at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and Superintendent of Pinnacles National Monument. In 1996, while working at Pinnacles National Monument, Candelaria oversaw the installation of solar panel arrays that reduced the park’s diesel fuel dependence and reduced noise pollution, allowing birds to return to the area.

In 1999, Candelaria returned to Alaska to work at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve. He says managing the 13-million-acre park was a career highlight. The Park is the largest unit of the NPS at the time. Conversely, he notes the lowest point of his career was when he realized that working for the NPS was emotionally draining and came at a high price, often taking a toll on personal relationships. Additionally, there were times when Park Service employees and policies affected the lives of those living near the parks, adding additional stress to his position.

Despite these low points, Candelaria remained in the environmental field because of his belief that the parks should be managed for public use and future generations. “You don’t have to be in the military to serve your country… I can’t think of anything I’d rather do with my life,” he states (2005). Being involved in the great legacy of helping to preserve national parks, building facilities for the parks, and working with people both inside and outside of the NPS has been a great reward.

In 2004, Candelaria received the Stephen T. Mather Award from the National Parks Conservation Association for his work preserving and protecting the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

Candelaria has held several titles throughout his tenure with the NPS, including Park Ranger, Chief Ranger, and Superintendent. He has worked all over the country in states such as Missouri, New York, Alaska, Wyoming, and California. Each move was also a move up the career ladder. In addition to his hard work and dedication, Candelaria says that his advancement was a natural part of being part of the NPS - “my advancement was a normal progression of title changes, responsibility, and salary increases. It’s the result of staying with the National Park Service for a long time” (2005).

Now retired, Candelaria last served as the Deputy Manager for the Harpers Ferry Center. He supervised staff that designed interpretive media, published center material, and created exhibits and films for NPS use. He states, “We have an outstanding collection of writers, designers, planners, producers, editors, etc., who help provide the interpretive media for national parks across the country” (2005).