Looks forward to engaging community on projects
COVINGTON, Ky. – As a teenager working for Boone County Parks, Greg Stacy was running everything from T-ball programs to a camp for 70 kids and 8 staff members. The work was a good fit, and it was meaningful. Parks and recreation, he realized, was the career for him.
Throughout high school and college Stacy worked with County and City park programs, such as the Cincinnati Recreation Commission’s Youth-to-Work program, where he organized roughly 400 kids in job and leadership training and financial advising. After a stint back in Boone County, Stacy joined Covington’s team in 2022 as Parks Project Coordinator.
“I’ve always loved parks and recreation,” said Stacy. “I like that you can be doing all kinds of activities during a day, it’s never going to be monotonous. So, I decided to make a career out of it.”
The trajectory of his chosen career continues. On Tuesday night, the Covington Board of Commissioners approved Stacy’s promotion as the City’s new Parks and Recreation Manager on the recommendation of Neighborhood Services Director Brandon Holmes, who said Stacy brings solid experience and commitment to the role.
“Greg has the very experience, drive, and passion we need for this position,” Holmes said. “He’s committed to delivering top-tier recreation projects and programs, and he’s adamant about engaging the community so as to best fulfill their vision for neighborhood parks.”
Stacy steps into the position previously held by Ben Oldiges, who accepted a position with Boone County Parks. (Stacy and Oldiges actually worked together at Boone County as well as Covington.)
Last year, Covington Parks and Rec earned statewide recognition as “Outstanding Department” by the Kentucky Recreation and Parks Society. Stacy said he looks forward to building on that achievement and to seeing current projects completed, particularly the extensive makeover of Austinburg Park at 15th and Eastern.
The overhaul includes the addition of a dog park, repaved basketball courts with new goals and lines, a seating area for the new FC Cincinnati soccer mini pitch, a new shelter house and playground equipment, an informational kiosk, and a new driveway, sidewalks and parking.
“I’m very excited,” said Stacy. “Austinburg Park, once everything is completed, I think it’s going to be one of our top parks. I’ve done a lot of work on that park – we’ve had setbacks that happened with funding – so we’ve put a lot of thought into that park. Once everything is complete, it’s going to be a great park.”
Since Oldiges’ departure, Parks and Rec has managed the City’s recreational green space, playgrounds, and youth activities with two full-time employees – Stacy and Recreational Program Coordinator Alicia Chappell – and two seasonal laborers.
“We’re small but mighty,” Stacy said about the skeletal crew.
Covington’s recreation amenities include trails along the Ohio and Licking rivers, swim facilities, more than two dozen parks and playgrounds, baseball and soccer fields, a disc golf course, a dog park, two outdoor concert venues, and the 700-acre Devou Park.
“I think our success can be attributed to our adaptability,” he said. “We saw this last year, especially. Ben had such a wide background that he could help in many areas. Alicia and I also have a wide background with different experiences that will help us adapt and overcome obstacles.”
Stacy said an important piece of his vision for the role includes community engagement.
“We have a lot of projects coming down the line that are going to be daunting – such as the remake of Goebel Park. We’ll be figuring out what people want and working to make that a reality,” he said. “Community engagement is very important. They’re community parks – not my parks. It’s about what the community wants, and how they want to spend their time.”
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