Being a parks and recreation director for over six years prepared me for being a city administrator in ways most people wouldn’t imagine. In all honesty, at their core, the mission is quite similar. Areas of focus in parks and recreation, such as program development and risk assessment, transfer very easily into the world of city administration, only on a larger scale. I’ve always told people when they ask about the transition from parks and recreation to municipal administration, if you are able to resolve issues with parents during youth programs, you can deal with anything. No one is more passionate or volatile than a parent that is advocating for their child’s best interest. In comparison, a city council meeting is typically less tense, but not always. The list of skills that are interchangeable between the two positions is extremely long. I’m going to only touch on a few that I feel convey my point.
Working in parks and recreation you are constantly solving problems and dealing with conflict resolution. As a city administrator, problem solving is second nature and conflict resolution is a commodity that is used almost daily. I learned early on that you will not please everyone, but your goal should be to achieve a win-win outcome – this is essential to problem solving and conflict resolution. Working in parks and recreation helped instill approaching every situation with the goal of a positive resolution.
When I first became the parks and recreation director, I had to convince the community that I was capable of providing a safe and enjoyable environment for the youth sports programs. Gaining community trust was one of the most important and difficult actions I encountered. At the time I was promoted to city administrator, the very same issue of community trust and support had to be addressed again, on a larger scale. It is paramount that the community feels a sense of trust and good will in both the parks and recreation and city administrator positions. Citizens need to know that you are capable of providing for their needs and safety concerns.
Prior to my promotion, I was under the impression that it was uncommon to transition from parks and recreation to city administration, but that is untrue. It is more common than you would think. From small towns to large cities, parks and recreation directors transitioning to city administrators are common. In my opinion, the transition is common because parks and recreation is the perfect field to hone many skills that are needed to become a successful city administrator.