Head of Hattiesburg’s Parks & Rec announces retirement
From City of Hattiesburg Communications
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - The City of Hattiesburg’s Parks and Recreation Director Chris McGee will retire Friday after
“My time working for the City of Hattiesburg has been tremendously rewarding, from making great strides in programming offerings to working alongside our community partners to expand our public facilities,” said McGee. “Our city is experiencing a lot of momentum, and I’m proud to have played a role in it.”
Originally hired as the general manager of programming, McGee was appointed as a director in the fall of 2018.
With him, he brought his vast experience with the Department of Recreational Sports at The University of Southern Mississippi to broaden the department’s perspective on how the city could better operate its recreational opportunities.
Under his leadership, the city’s innovative and senior programming availabilities were expanded and many 1-cent parks and recreation projects were completed.
Those projects included the expansion of Duncan Lake’s walking trail, the city’s only publicly-accessible and free splash pad at Dewitt Sullivan Park and tennis complex improvements at Tatum Park.
“Chris really helped us bridge some programming gaps and build better relationships with athletic and recreational program offerings at The University of Southern Mississippi and Hattiesburg Public School District,” Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker said. “He also helped facilitate and lead as the city identified a new parks and recreation funding source through the “Your Penny at Work” initiative.
“We are grateful for his time with the City of Hattiesburg and for his many years of service to Southern Miss.”
Prior to retirement from Southern Miss, McGee served as the associate director of facilities in the Department of Recreational Sports at Southern Miss for 20 years.
At this time, Barker is working on an interim plan with Chief Administrative Officer Ann Jones, while a search for a new director is forthcoming.
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