Parks and Recreation Directors envision future growth
Parks and Recreation Directors envision future growth
Written by Carson Barker Saturday, 07 October 2006
Curt Randa, Parks and Recreation Director, Cedar Park
Working with the land is second nature to Curt Randa. Growing up in the farms and fields of Nebraska is how the new Cedar Park Parks and Recreation director forged his skills in outdoor labor. In August, Randa was promoted from Cedar Park city forester to parks and recreation director, and he is eager about his new job.
“I love working for Cedar Park. It can be challenging because there is always so much going on, but at the same time it is very rewarding” Randa said. Previous to his Cedar Park job, he worked as a consulting arborist in Austin.
- Q. What plans do you bring to the table in your new position?
- A. I would like to bring together our departmental staff as a team to meet the city’s needs for the development of our newly planned parks and the maintenance and upgrading of our existing ones. I think efficiency and communication will be the key to keeping up with the city’s parks and recreational needs.
- Q. Describe an ordinary day in your job.
- A. My day usually starts with a prioritized ‘to-do’ list. This includes meetings with developers or consultants to discuss current or future projects. I visit with staff throughout the day to discuss athletics, aquatics and other programs and events that may be coming up. There are always a lot of e-mails and phone calls to return throughout the day. When I can, I try to get out of the office to visit existing facilities or future sites that may be a new or rehabilitation project.
- Q. How is the parks and recreation department working to satisfy residents’ recreational needs?
- A. Two projects we are currently working on are the Brushy Creek Recreation Park and the Northwest Community Park. The Brushy Creek Recreation Park will have lighted sports fields, hike and bike trails and a disc golf course. The Northwest Community Park will contain our city’s third community pool, an amphitheater, nature trails, sports fields and an off-leash dog park. Many of these planned park amenities are not presently available to our residents.
- Q. If budget were not an issue, what would the next project be for the department?
- A. We have funding for phase one of the Brushy Creek Recreation Park and for phase one of the Northwest Community Park, but it would be great to have the budget to fully construct both of these parks. The third would be the indoor recreation center.
- Q. What is your favorite leisure or recreational activity?
- A. I like to do most anything outdoors. Running, mountain biking and skiing are probably my top three.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science , University of Nebraska
- Family: Wife, Lisa; two sons, Max and Austin
- Contact information: 401-5504, randa@ci.cedar-park.tx.us
Stephen Bosak, Parks and Recreation Director, Leander
Stephen Bosak has worked in parks departments since 1978. He began in Arlington, Texas, then worked in Austin for 12 years, and finally Portland, Ore., until landing in Leander this summer. His new position as Leander parks and recreation director has him full of optimism.
“Leander is an exciting place with a can-do attitude. I look forward to helping it grow and being a part of it,” Bosak said.
- Q. What plans do you bring to the table in your new position?
- A. I came here to help the city grow and expand the parks and recreation system. This is a small community that’s about to explode with growth, and we have many recreational needs to be met. As people come to the community and new parks are built, we are going to develop programs to complement the facilities we have, and the needs of the people and recreational activities.
- Q. Describe an ordinary day in your job.
- A. It depends on the day. Sometimes we have workers headed out to the field for maintenance, we have programming people scheduling fields and working with the aquatic staff. When we do Music in the Park we set up lights, bands and a P.A. system. Another day we will be setting up a Movie in the Park. Some days we work with contractors who are building parks. The nice thing is there isn’t a typical day in our business. It’s not repetitive and it’s pretty fun.
- Q. How is the parks and recreation department working to satisfy residents’ recreational needs?
- A. The people want parks and trails, and we are working hard to build those facilities and acquire the parks where we need them. I think the residents are happy with what they see so far. That’s not to say that we are meeting all of their needs or that we have parks in all the places. But, I think the renovation of Bledsoe Park and Divine Lake Park coming online, residents are starting to see some real results for their tax dollars.
- Q. If budget were not an issue, what would the next project be for the department?
- A. A recreation center. Purchasing all the needs for park land in strategic locations because we’d want to obtain that land before it’s developed. An athletic center would be next. Maintenance staff as well. When you add new facilities, you have to have maintenance staff to keep up with the needs.
- Q. What is your favorite leisure or recreational activity?
- A. I like to play golf, and I like to hike. Golf is one of those life sports that you can take into your old age and you can play with your kid, nephew or Grandpa.
- Education: Bachelor’s in Natural Resources, University of Michigan Master’s in Recreation Administration, University of North Texas
- Family: Wife, Tricia
- Contact information: 259-2640, bosak@ci.leander.tx.us
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