Olivia Lemen to work with Parks & Recreation
After a lengthy search, Windsor’s Parks & Recreation Department has filled the position for a Management Analyst, welcoming local resident Olivia Lemen to their team.
Lemen officially started her new job on Dec. 1 and her main responsibilities will include working with the parks and recreation Master Plan as well as grant writing and funding opportunities. She will be working with staff on budget and other policies, and doing community liaison work with various nonprofits and other groups the Town is involved with. Lemen will also be assisting with the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Windsor Parks and Recreation Foundation (Parks4People), she said.
“I live here in Windsor; proximity and working for the community which I live was a definite goal of mine,” Lemen said, on why she went after the position.
Lemen, her husband, two and a half year old and 10-month-old baby have lived in Windsor for about two and a half years. Lemen grew up in Santa Rosa, so she was already familiar with the area.
Prior to her new position as management analyst, Lemen worked in government for six years as a recreation manager for the City of Calistoga. Lemen supervised the aquatics program for a pool in Calistoga from immediately after it was built. Parks and Recreation Director Donna Legge said that this aquatics experience will come in handy if the Lytton Tribe project moves forward. Before working for Calistoga, Lemen worked in nonprofit, for the YMCA in the East Bay for almost eight years.
“I think having both the nonprofit and the public sector experience will give me a really good base on working with the various groups that the Town already has great relationships with and enhancing those relationships. Having a program background and having managed a variety of youth, adult, teen and sports programs and facility rentals gives me a really good base of understanding to help facilitate any future opportunities that come along, as well as just support the staff and all the great work they’re already doing here in Windsor,” Lemen said.
The management analyst position had previously been vacant for three years due to budget cuts, Legge said.
“We’re at the point where we have a lot of projects that have wear and tear and need some attention. We’re constantly trying to improve our amenities, our parks and our recreation facilities,” Legge said on why the Town decided to hire a new management analyst.
Legge said that Lemen was chosen for the job because she has experience in project management, a background in parks and recreation, she is enthusiastic and she appeared to be a good fit with the existing team.
Another reason Lemen was selected was that the Town of Windsor went through an exercise where all town employees participated in establishing core values- teamwork and collaboration, integrity, professionalism, communication and accountability. These values were one of the ways that candidates for the management analyst job were measured, and Lemen displayed qualities that aligned with the values, Legge said.
Legge believes that Lemen will have a positive impact on the Town of Windsor.
“I think the community will begin to see more projects being completed in a timely manner. I think we’ll also be seeing more improvements facilitated by the Parks4People Foundation. They’re a separate entity but their sole purpose is to raise funds to support parks and recreation,” Legge said. Legge said that Lemen will also help establish a public art policy.
Lemen said that, when it comes to her new job, “I’m excited about it all at this point. I’m in the sponge mode of absorbing everything. I’m excited to be a part of a team that is positive.”
