When former Durango Parks and Recreation Director Ture Nycum announced his resignation to work closer to his family, City Manager José Madrigal said Nycum would be hard to replace.
On Tuesday, nearly five months after Nycum’s Aug. 11 departure, Madrigal publicly introduced Kelly Schmidt as the city’s next Parks and Recreation director.
Schmidt brings 25 years of professional experience in the parks and recreation industry, as well as a Certified Park and Recreation Executive credential from the National Recreation and Park Association, Madrigal said.
She is moving to Durango from Bentonville, Arkansas where she currently works as the community events manager for the city there.
Before that, she worked in Bentonville as the director of investments of green space and community initiatives for Runway Group Bentonville, Arkansas, where she was the community events manager for the city there.
Madrigal said Schmidt was unanimously chosen to lead the Parks and Recreation department by three separate interview groups, including the parks department, the city manager’s office and Madrigal’s executive leadership team of city department heads.
Schmidt did not immediately return a request for comment.
The city manager and councilors welcomed Schmidt and expressed their excitement for bringing her aboard.
“I moved to Durango (in) Jan. 7, 2005,” Councilor Dave Woodruff said. “Literally within 10 minutes of walking through the door somebody said, ‘Welcome home.’ That was almost 19 years ago. So welcome home.”
He said a resident asked him just that morning if the city had found a new parks director yet, and he was excited to say it had.
Durango Parks and Recreation manages 38 parks and open spaces within the city, from small green and shaded places such as Buckley Park to the 1,519 acres of open space at the Horse Gulch trail system.
The city is working with the Durango Mesa Park Foundation to develop a “world-class” bike park this year, with other amenities also planned.
Nycum, the former parks director, gave notice of his resignation in July. He said he accepted a job with a recreation district in Eagle County and made the move to work closer to his family in Fruita, about 10 miles from Grand Junction.
cburney@durangoherald.com
