[E-updates] Long time parks leader retiring

[Lisa Patterson]

NEWS RELEASE

City of Lawrence, Kansas

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

 

Friday, Dec. 15, 2006

 

CONTACT:  David Corliss, City Manager, (785) 832-3400

or 

Fred DeVictor, Director of Parks and Recreation, (785) 832-3450

 

Long time parks leader retiring

 

(Lawrence, Ks) - The Director of Lawrence Parks and Recreation will
retire in March after serving the City of Lawrence since 1970.  Fred
DeVictor announced his retirement today during a department lunch.  He
will leave his post on March 16, 2007.

 

"Fred's leadership and vision in providing outstanding parks, facilities
and programs for the Lawrence community have been an incredible
contribution to the city," said David Corliss, city manager.  Corliss
continued, "His commitment to providing city services has greatly
benefited the Lawrence community and his service is very much
appreciated."

 

After joining the department in January 1970 as assistant director,
DeVictor was appointed director in 1975.  Projects under his tenure
include the opening of Holcom Park Recreation Center and Sports Complex,
Clinton Lake Softball Complex, Eagle Bend Golf Course and Golf Learning
Center, Prairie Park Nature Center, the Indoor Aquatic Center and
renovations of the Lawrence Aquatic Center and the East Lawrence
Recreation Center. He has overseen a park acquisition fund that has
provided for 17 new parks and open space areas and added over 400 acres
in the past few years.  He has been responsible for developing numerous
recreation programs and special events including slow pitch softball
leagues, special populations programs, summer concert series, fall arts
and crafts festival and summer youth theatre.

 

Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, a National Recreation and Park
Association Gold Medal Award finalist in 1997 and 1998, has 75 full-time
and over 450 part-time and seasonal employees in recreation, parks,
forestry, special recreation, facilities and maintenance, cemetery and
golf course divisions with a 2006 budget of over $8.2 million.

 

DeVictor is a past president of the Kansas Recreation and Park
Association and has received its Distinguished Service Professional
Award and Distinguished Fellow Award. He has served on many committees
of the National Recreation and Park Association and has also served on
many local boards including the United Way, Junior Achievement, Lawrence
Sports Corporation, Breakfast Optimist Club and Kansas Wildscape
Foundation.

 

-END-

 

 

 

_____________________________

 

Lisa K. Patterson |Communications Manager

City of Lawrence

PO Box 708 | Lawrence, KS 66044

(785) 832-3406

fax (785) 832-3405

lpatterson at ci.lawrence.ks.us

www.lawrenceks.org

 

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