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SATURDAY December 6, 2003 - Subscribe - Contact Us Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels November 22, 2003 Parks Director to be hired Monday By Vicky Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings The Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission is slated to appoint City of Gresham Parks and Recreation Manager Don Robertson as the new director of Ashland's parks system. Robertson, 44, will travel from Gresham to be present in Ashland for the official vote. He currently heads a parks system serving a community of more than 100,000 people in the Portland metropolitan area, and said he is looking forward to the small town atmosphere in Ashland. "I like to be very much involved on the community level. I'm excited about the move back into a smaller community. It's nice to walk down the street and see people you know," said Robertson, speaking by phone from Gresham. "In a larger community, you can get kind of lost." He will take over his new post at the beginning of the year. His family will follow at a later date. His wife works as a teacher, while his daughter is a senior in high school and his son is a sophomore. Robertson has had extensive experience working with community groups and volunteers. Volunteers that he helped organize are building the 33-acre Gresham Community Sports Park, and Robertson aided in a volunteer project to light a ball field when he served as parks and recreation coordinator for the City of Milwaukie, also near Portland. With over 21 years experience in the field, Robertson has held positions ranging from swimming pool maintenance worker to his current position as head of a the 1,100-acre Gresham parks system. "I've had the opportunity to experience all levels and facets of the parks and recreation business," he said. As manager of the Gresham parks system, Robertson has worked on a variety of projects, ranging from construction of a train station replica that will serve as a community center and trailhead facility, to development of a cultural arts center that will feature performance areas, gallery space, studios and a home for the local farmer's market. While this will be Robertson's first time living in Ashland, his grandmother and great grandfather grew up in the city and he frequently visited relatives here while growing up. Robertson said he knows former Ashland Parks and Recreation Department Director Ken Mickelsen, and had hoped the director's position would open up someday. "I'm real excited about Ashland. It's one of the places I've had my eye on for a while. I like the climate and it's a beautiful community," he said. Mickelsen left his Ashland post this summer after 24 years to head a fledgling parks department in Washington State. After a field of 81 applicants was narrowed down, the parks commission selected a top candidate and a runner-up at the end of October, but declined to identify the finalist pending completion of a background search and contract negotiations. The salary range for the parks director is $77,400 to $87,000, not including benefits. In other business Monday night, the commission will consider: o a proposal to install lighting at the Ashland Dog Park. o a Babe Ruth Baseball request for use of North Mountain Park. o a new benefit for parks employees. o an intergovernmental agreement. The commission meets at 7 p.m. on Monday in the Ashland Civic Center Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main St. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Road Cams