Managing an entire citys parks involves a lot more than just mowing the lawn.
And theres also paper work, of course.
Im currently the Parks and Recreation Director for a small city in the state of Kentucky.
My official title is the Director of Parks, Recreation, and Cemeteries.
My department has 20 people in five divisions: Recreation, Golf, Pool, Cemetery and Parks.
In addition, we manage the city pool and lifeguards over the summer.
What drove you to choose your career path?
My first job was working as a day camp instructor for my hometowns parks and recreation department.
I worked part-time throughout my high school and college summers and eventually ended up there full time.
I really enjoy the opportunity to do something that directly affects people in a positive manner.
How did you go about getting your job?
What kind of education and experience did you need?
I got my current position after the previous director decided to retire and informed me of the opening.
I competed with other applicants after making it through a pretty rigorous system procedure.
That was all they needed to hear and into education I went.
I actually never considered that you could make a living in parks and recreation.
I equated it to wanting to be an astronaut.
It was a real job but the chances of you doing it for a living were slim.
What kinds of things do you do beyond what most people see?
Most people have the preconception that we simply mow grass and referee kids soccer games.
We do that and a lot more.
Wedomow grass but we also maintain turf at golf course quality.
Recreation programmers have to create activity plans for a variety of ages and ability levels.
Park maintenance has plumbing, electrical, carpentry repairs that they do for buildings and facilities.
Park staff have to deal with drunks yelling at little league officials.
All those things we deal with regularly.
In my position I do a lot of desk work.
Although with this department being smaller I do get out frequently for some hands on portions of the job.
What other misconceptions do people often have about your job?
A lot of people dont recognize all the things that the parks and recreation department does.
If it happens in the parks, its our responsibility.
Because of all the tools and equipment that we need, I have to know a little about everything.
When upgrading registration programs I have to know minimum tech spec terminology of the computers that will be used.
I have to know the federal labor standards so summer employees stay in compliance.
I need to know enough to be able to draft a simple site plan for construction.
I have to write a simple business plan and create an operating budget.
I need to know early childhood development for creating age appropriate activities.
Theres so much that I need to know a little about.
Ive got to askhow do you feel about the Parks and Rec TV show?
What are your average work hours?
Typical 9-5 thing or not?
A saying in the industry is that we work while others play.
Working on holidays and weekends are regular occurrences.
The pool opens Memorial Day so there we are.
I like to visit when programs and facilities are open too.
A great part of the job is seeing people enjoy things that youve worked hard to prepare for them.
Whats the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?
You have a hard time enjoying your walk or picnic if you spend so much time there already.
You always hear the stories of servers that cant enjoy eating where they work.
Sometimes working in the parks and recreation field is like that.
Whats the most enjoyable part of the job?
You dont have to wait too long to see the positive outcomes of what you did.
What do people under/over value about what you do?
I think a lot of people undervalue that this is a real job, especially before the TV show.
When I told people what I did they never had a clue that it was even a real job.
What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?
Like all city employees, the larger the city, the higher the pay scale.
The directors of some of the larger departments make low six figures.
Major metropolitan area directors do much better than that, in the mid to upper six figure mark.
But theyre dealing with thousands of employees and acres in LA or New Orleans or Chicago.
I work for a much smaller city so Im not in that situation.
Is there a way to move up in your field?
Very rarely is someone promoted if they arent moving into an already open position.
Holding degrees, certifications, trainings are very helpful when looking to hire an employee.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
But once you are hired its easy for top performers to be noticed.
Dont forget that in the recreation profession experience is a little different.
Dont be afraid to list some of those things as skills on a resume.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
If youd like to share your career, email us at[email protected].Image byBoomer Jerrittvia Getty.
