Being Creative
President's Message
Although I was in quarantine holding out in my home recovering from the virus, I was able to Zoom into the meeting this last week and thoroughly enjoyed Ron Clarks presentation. It made me appreciate a man who had a vision and was not afraid to think out of the box to change the status quo for teaching. I can only imagine the energy in which those children experience every day at his school. We had many teachers and administrators in the audience, and I hope they can take his message and get creative with our children and future Rotarians here locally.
It was great to see Johnathan Crooks at our meeting and receive the wonderful news that Pam McCleary is on her way to recovery from the virus. I’m Grateful that Amy and I had very minor symptoms and I am ready to “hit the bricks running” as your president! Thanks to PE John and our leadership for covering for me while I was out.
This next weekend is our youth day parade. I hope everyone can come out in force for the parade and don’t forget to bring bags of candy for the kids on Thursday when our Director of parks and recreation, Jeff Leatherman gives us an update on the best park system in Georgia!
Upcoming Speaker-October 7 - Jeff Leatherman
Roswell Rotary Youth Services Chair Jeff Bridges introduces Jeff Leatherman, Director of Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs for the city of Roswell.
Jeff Leatherman
A career in parks and recreation seemed a natural path for Jeff Leatherman as parks and recreation have always been a part of his life. Growing up in Truckee, Calif., he was attending summer camps from the time he was 6 months old. He shared that his father was a youth pastor and teacher and his mother was also a teacher, so he and his brother spent summers at summer camp.
Leatherman said, “I had the luxury and the privilege of growing up in the mountains, just outside Lake Tahoe, with everything I could want right in my backyard — and that transitioned to a love of the business of recreation.” His first job was parking cars at the ski slope so he could earn his ski pass, and from there, he taught skiing and became a lifeguard. His first official paid position was as a lifeguard at age 15. He said he had a couple of great mentors, who were in the recreation profession, when he was in high school and they “turned me onto the recreation industry as a lifestyle.”
He graduated and went to southern California to attend California State University at Chico, Calif., and graduated with a degree in recreation administration with an emphasis in community and commercial recreation and a minor in marketing.
After graduation, he got a job as a general manager for a lake and marina operation at one of the newest reservoirs in California that opened in 2003 around the time he took over.
He and his wife and four young sons moved to Roswell, and he said not only was it a great opportunity for him, but they moved into “a great community, great neighborhood with great schools — it’s been a good transition.”
The biggest challenge facing Leatherman’s department probably is “how to continue to optimize facilities that reflect diversity and the community’s needs and values and also how to maintain those facilities for the next generations.” “That’s always the challenge — balancing maintenance dollars versus operational budget,” he said, adding parks and recreation departments “are one of the few municipal services where (residents) choose to participate in what we do. We’ve found the right niche that should be serving the community and is reflective of those values, and as communities change, we need to be nimble enough to make those changes.”
Youth Day Parade- Saturday October 9th 8:30am - 11am
Come see Roswell Rotary's Float!
Roswell Rotary has a Float in the Parade
The Roswell Rotary Club Float, designed by Karen Schwank, and built by Zach Fields, will be a part of the Youth Day Parade this Saturday. What a team! The float will be highlighting our Interact Clubs and their commitment to the Youth Peace in Action!
Your Job- Please
We need you to bring bags of candy for the kids to throw along the parade route. Much appreciated. Please bring candy to Thursday's meeting.
Come join the fun on Saturday!
If you would like to walk with the float, meet in front of Roswell First Baptist Church by 8:30am. Wear your peace sign t-shirt! The parade will end in Roswell Area Park by 11am.
As you can see by the smiles in the picture above (taken at the Youth parade in 2019) it is a ton of fun. Come join!
Rotary Last Week
