|
Finalists for rec director down to three
By Richard Reeder
This document was published online on Tuesday, October 14, 2008
 |
| Finalists for the parks and rec department director are (from left) Jack Bowman of Rexburg, Idaho, Rick Parish of Cheyenne and Keith Williams of Boulder, Colo. (Photo by Ken Blackbird) |
The city is in the final stages of replacing Rob Schoeber as director of the parks and rec department.
Three finalists for Parks, Recreation and Facilities director met with city administrators and rec center staff Friday in their last interviews and then met the public during a reception at the rec center.
The three are Rick Parish of Cheyenne, Jack Bowman of Rexburg, Idaho, and Keith Williams from the Boulder, Colo., area.
“They have met the staff and been interviewed,” city administrator Andy Whiteman said. “We felt we had three really strong candidates out of 53 applications.
“We're happy with how this went because recruiting is sometimes difficult,” he added. “Often, smaller cities and towns have a hard time recruiting because people are hesitant about the opportunities.”
But the three men were excited about everything they saw in Cody during their visit.
“I've been to Cody several times in my job in Cheyenne,” said Parish, who has spent 20 years as the parks and recreation director in Cheyenne. “I know Rob and know he's done a great job here and it's a great opportunity to continue that work.
“This area offers me the chance to pursue my interests in mountain biking, skiing and bow hunting,” he added. “There's a real focus on parks and recreation here and it's a positive environment.”
Parish is hoping to fulfill a promise to his wife Cathy.
“I told her when we left Sheridan for Cheyenne it would be for 5-7 years,” he said. “But here we are 20 years later and I'm still at it.
“But now that our sons Laine and Kyle are out of the house we want to get back to a smaller town,” he added. “She's a nurse practitioner and we know she will have an opportunity here to keep working.”
For Bowman, the move would be out of necessity. He's been in Rexburg 20 years, but finds himself unemployed.
“They restructured the departments there and my job was eliminated,” said Bowman, who was parks and rec director for 10 years. “I knew I wanted to stay in the rec field and stay close to the mountains.
“I like Cody because it's a small town, but feels much bigger,” he added. “There are so many opportunities here, I like the way it's laid out and there's a real passion for recreation.”
The Hawaii native said he sees room for growth in Cody.
“I have a real entrepreneurial spirit and enjoy making things grow,” he said. “Cody has so many great things, but I know we can tweak them and make them continue to grow and improve.”
Bowman and his wife Kari have 12-year-old twins, Josh and Cassidy, and a 10-year-old son Kael.
Williams said he liked the community.
“The quality of life is exceptional,” he said. “The facilities are superb and it's a warm community.
“The number of parks is excellent for a smaller city,” he added. “It's a great place to live and work.”
Rec center activities director Doyle Stout said the three men were impressive in their interviews.
“Overall, it went real well,” he said. “They are three good candidates with excellent backgrounds.
“I wasn't in with the rec center staff during their interviews,” he added. “It will be interesting to hear what they have to say.”
Whiteman said a choice could be made by mid-week.
“We'll all sit down and discuss our choices and start to make a selection,” he said. “We could know by Wednesday who we want to offer the job to.”
|
Popular Searches