Duncombe named new Parks and Rec director

The new Parks and Recreation director for the City of Green River is a familiar face.

Catherine "Katie" Duncombe was recently named the new director and officially began her duties at the beginning of this week.

"I am honored and excited to begin a new adventure in serving the citizens of Green River," she said.

Even though she just became the director officially, Duncombe has been serving as interim director since April when the previous director, Brad Raney, resigned. And these last few months of service came after her previous 16 years of working with the city.

Duncombe was hired as a Recreation Supervisor in July 2007. She came to Green River with a Master's degree in Recreation & Sports Management and Bachelor's degree in Recreation and Parks Management. She is also credentialed as a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP) and an Aquatic Facility Operator (AFO).

One of Duncombe's biggest projects after being hired was creating the after school program and summer day camps for the city. Over the years she's also been involved in a number of programs, from the Crystal Classic to Dancing the Night Away at the Pavilion to the Frostbite 5K and 10K. She has also served as the city liaison for the Green River Arts Council and Overland Stage Stampede Rodeo committee.

Helping continually create new, fun, engaging things for the community is one of Duncombe's favorite things to do.

"Parks and Recreation changes a lot throughout the years and we try new programs and create things and they go really well for a few years and then we create new things for the public," Dumcombe said. "So I just love the creative side of Parks Recreation and providing those services to the citizens."

With her previous service, stepping into the role of director made sense for Duncombe. But taking over the director's duties at the beginning of the summer season while still keeping up with her previous position and duties was challenging, and a bit of a "trial by fire," Duncombe admitted.

"I learned a lot in that short amount of time because that is obviously the busiest time of year for our department, especially on the park side," she explained. "Doing both jobs at the same time was definitely a challenge, but we have amazing employees and part time staff that just stepped up and did phenomenal things for the programs in the summer."

"Katie has proven herself these past months, especially over the summer when the department is at its busiest," City Administrator Reed Clevenger commented in the press release announcing Duncombe's promotion. "Her commitment, work ethic, and ability to work closely with others will pay dividends to the department as they continue their success."

Continuing the success of the department is exactly what Duncombe hopes to do as she goes into the future as the director.

"I want to maintain the level of service that we have prided ourselves on to the city and our amazing employees," she said.

Duncombe also hopes to make sure projects started under Brad Raney are able to be completed, especially things like the Riverside Memorial Park restoration project. She's also working with Public Works Director Mark Westenskow on the Killdeer Wetlands and is looking forward to working more with the Greenbelt Task Force to keep making improvements there.

While the department always faces challenges, particularly in areas like funding, Duncombe is excited to keep finding ways to improve the quality of life and provide services to both residents and visitors.

"I just love working with different citizens in the community and listening to their ideas, and just having good facilities for people to go to and events for people to attend and programs that are enriching for youth," Duncombe said. "Those are definitely the things that I love about Parks and Recreation. And then I just want to make sure to continue because I think our department does a really good job at those things."

Clevenger agrees that the department does a good job, and believes Duncombe will continue that legacy.

"This promotion continues the strong momentum and stability the department has demonstrated over the years," Clevenger said. "Being able to promote from within is an excellent way to continue the service culture that has been set by the department that helped lead them to being recognized as a National Gold Medal winner for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management."

During Tuesday night's City Council meeting, Clevenger added: "We're excited to have her be a part of that team. The work she's done has proven to me and to us that we're in good hands to continue moving forward with the recognition that our Parks and Rec department has received."