4/28/05

Dickinson Fills New Recreation Programs Superintendent Position

With a passion for children, recreation and customer service, Johnny Dickinson was the perfect hire to fulfill a new position as recreation programs superintendent of the Holly Springs Parks & Recreation Department. The new position oversees the programming aspects of athletics and leisure programs, in addition to the community center and special events.

Dickinson also will be integrally involved in the development of a new cultural center, to open in Holly Springs in 2006, and a new community center in coming years. He will supervise five full-time Parks & Recreation staff, including the vacant athletic supervisor replacement who will begin in mid-May.

Parks & Recreation Director Len Bradley said Dickinson 's commitment to not just programs but also to the people participating in the programs was one of his top selling points.

“Johnny has a passion for parks and recreation and for people,” Bradley said. “He's obviously dedicated, and I think that's what we need in Holly Springs.”

Dickinson said his goals with Holly Springs Parks & Recreation included developing a larger offering of programs – from regularly scheduled programs to special events – that appeal to a wider variety of people in Holly Springs.

“I have a passion for recreation,” he said. “I love to get families involved in all activities. I'm big on customer service, and I take a lot of pride in my work. I love it, and it's great to be here.”

Dickinson said he was interested in the new position because of Holly Springs ' growth, the opportunity to work with the new cultural center and the prospect of developing a new community center.

A parks and recreation professional for more than 12 years, Dickinson most recently was recreation director of the Lake Lynn Community Center, a Raleigh Parks & Recreation facility that he helped build from the ground up in 1998. In addition to the community center facility, Lake Lynn offers lighted ball fields, tennis courts, a greenway trail and a lake.

A graduate in textile technology from NC State University, Dickinson never obtained a job in his line of study. Instead, his passion found him employed in sports and recreation.

“I've always been a sports nut growing up,” he said. “I've got a passion for kids, and that's what got me started.”

His favorite professional baseball team is the Baltimore Orioles and it's “NCSU in everything else,” he said.

Dickinson lives in Raleigh with his wife and son.

Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us