As much as we all love to see Amy Poehler and company satirize a city’s parks and recreation department, the department and who leads it matter. The soon-to-be-available position in Chapel Hill’s parks and rec department needs to be filled by a candidate with the same passion and ability as its previous occupant, Butch Kisiah.
Equally important, however, will be the department head’s relationship to the UNC student body.
Chapel Hill Town Manager Roger Stancil, the man in charge of the selection process, has proven his ability to select candidates in the past.
Stancil has drawn the praise of Kisiah, who has named Stancil as the largest influence in his original decision to come to Chapel Hill in 2007. Kisiah boasts an impressive list of accomplishments since that time, including the creation of Morgan Creek Trail and Southern Community Park.
Ring any bells, students?
Students in Chapel Hill enjoy these parks and rec projects all the time.
Stancil, hear us when we say that students have a vested interest in your process for deciding the next parks and rec department head.
As the selection process continues, a candidate should be chosen who is committed to involving more students. Doing so will allow the department to realize the not-fully-recognized resource of the UNC student body.
