Page 7 - Searcy Parks and Rec March 2015

“He is not just there for you at work; he is also there if you need him after hours or on weekends.” — Mike Parsons, incoming director
Familiar face, new title
Assistant director fills vacant department-head position
when I took this job to build a new sports complex and move out of this crowded situation to a newer facility,” Smith said. “That was put on my plate right in the very beginning.”
Prior to the construction of the com- plex, the 7-acre Berryhill Park was home to all the sports fields the city had to offer, along with the swimming pool and a play- ground.The city initially purchased 40 acres for the project, but the complex has now grown to 123 acres and accommodates a skate park, a dog park, outdoor basketball goals, softball fields, soccer fields and more. There is even a working plan to add a new swimming pool.
“That has been one of the key things that I have been able to oversee, and I’ve seen such tremendous progress,” Smith said.
Smith was also instrumental in bringing about the Searcy Bike/Walking Trail, which was made possible by grant funds from the Arkansas Highway andTransportation De- partment.The 4.8-mile trail took four years and $87,000 of grant money to complete.
“I used to say that in 20 years, this will be one of the best features that we have in this community, and now it is one of the most popular features that we have,” Smith said.
In addition, Smith helped to expand the programs offered by the Parks and Recre- ation Department.There is now a plethora of offerings for both adults and children, including youth basketball, arts and crafts, archery and crime-scene-investigation pro- gramming.
“We’ve had summer programs on and off through the years, but the staff has really focused on summer programs in the last three years,” Smith said. “We are stronger in that area now than we have been in a long time.”
The growth doesn’t stop there. During Smith’s time with the department, he said, he has seen every city park undergo some sort of upgrade.
HISTORICAL COLLABORATION
“There are so many different things un- der [the parks and rec] umbrella that people
don’t really understand how far-reaching our influence and our maintenance areas go,” Smith said.
A prime example of the extent of the depar tment’s interests is its involvement with Pioneer Village. Operated by the White County Historical Society, Pioneer Village is a collection of buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries that were moved to the grounds of the Searcy Sports Com- plex in 2000.
“It is a wonderful attraction, a step back in time and an educational experience,” Smith said. “I think it could actually one day be a tourist attraction for Searcy. I’ve tried to be very instrumental in its success and progress.”
The depar tment also maintains Smyr- na Church, the oldest standing church in Arkansas, as well as the Benjamin Clayton Black House.This historic home and Searcy landmark houses the Searcy Art Gallery.
IN THE FUTURE
Smith, whose life has always been tied to recreation in one way or another, has no intentions of slowing down while in retire- ment. Smith said he plans to spend quite a bit of time traveling and visiting with his family. He said he might also play a little basketball, do some flower gardening and possibly pick up a par t-time job.
“I am going to miss my co-workers, and I am going to miss some facets of the job, but I am looking forward to setting my own calendar and doing what I want to do,” he said.
In the years to come, a sales-tax in- crease for Searcy that went into effect last year will benefit the Parks and Recreation Depar tment and fund a new swimming pool, which is something Smith identified as a need shortly after he accepted the direc- tor position years ago.The funds will also help to construct a splash pad for the city.
“I am going to miss out on seeing these things come to fruition, but I am thrilled that it is going to happen,” he said. “I’ve just had such a good career and such an enjoy- able time doing what I’ve done. I found joy in just about everything.”
By Angela Spencer and Wendy Miller
SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITERS
Mike Parsons, who was recently named director of the Searcy Parks and Recreation Department, will follow in the footsteps of retired 30-year Searcy Parks and Recreation Director Brian Smith.
With 10 years of experience in the de- partment and four years as assistant director, Parsons said, he is eager to fill the position by providing good direction and leadership for the staff, volunteers, participants and families who are involved in the parks.
Parsons enrolled at Harding Universi- ty in Searcy a few years after graduating from high school, and in his final semester at Harding, he completed an internship with the city’s parks and recreation department. He has been an employee there ever since. After Parsons graduated with a bachelor’s degree, he was hired on with the depart- ment in a par t-time night-shift position.
“From there, I was promoted to program coordinator,” he said, “and then from there to assistant director, and then I applied for the director’s spot when it opened up.”
Parsons said serving under Smith was a great time to learn how a city department can run efficiently, especially a department like parks and recreation, which deals with residents and visitors on a regular basis. A big part of that is managing staff well, and Parsons said Smith had a great way of bal- ancing direction with freedom when it came to parks staff.
“Brian did many great things for the city of Searcy and its citizens,” Parsons said. “He really cared about the people that came through his programs and utilized the facili- ties he managed. He was never one to jump out there and take credit for something but preferred to stay back and keep working to improve Searcy. He was a great director and mentor to work under.”
Now that he sits in the director’s chair, Parsons said, he will probably carry many of the same principles instilled by Smith into the way he runs the department. Luckily,Par- sons said, the staff is already very tight-knit, and its members work well together.
“Brian is a great listener, and he will lis- ten to the public or supervisor or someone
WILLIAM HARVEY/THREE RIVERS EDITION
Mike Parsons began his career with Searcy Parks and Recreation with an internship while he was in college.Ten years later, he has stepped into the director’s position and looks forward to providing even more recreational opportunities to the residents of Searcy.
else before he makes a decision,” Parsons said.“We hear that from other departments throughout the city. There won’t be much transition, since everything has already been flowing so smoothly. I’m sure I’ll put my own little twist on different things here and there, but there won’t be any drastic changes.”
While management of the department may not change much, there are some im- provements in the works right now that will offer benefits for residents. Last year, the city passed an eight-year sales tax, and parks will be one of the departments that will benefit from those funds.
“We’re going to be getting a swimming pool,” Parsons said. “We’re going to be getting a splash pad. We’ll be getting new concessions and restrooms for the football fields, and new concessions and restrooms for the girls softball fields as well.There is also a vision of building up the area out- side of the Carmichael Center with new playground equipment and renovating the amphitheater.”
Parsons said he will also look to other experienced city department heads to help him get acclimated to his new position.
“I want to learn everything I can to benefit the department, as well as the city,” Parsons said. “It is an honor to be select- ed for this position. I know there are high expectations for this position also, but we are hitting the ground running, maintaining things that were already in place, as well as coming up with new ideas all the time. It is an exciting time.”
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