Ad

After 30-plus Years, Bridgeport Parks and Recreation Head Don Burton to Step Down from Post in March

By Jeff Toquinto on January 06, 2018 via Connect-Bridgeport.com

When it comes to Bridgeport Parks and Recreation, most in the community associate it with the name of Don Burton. And while that will likely continue into the future, his role as director will soon be coming to an end.
 
Burton recently informed the city administration that he will be retiring. Burton, who has been with the Parks and Recreation as the director for 30 years, will spend his last day on the job March 22.
 
“It wasn’t an easy decision for me, particularly after spending my last 30 years here and having nearly 40 years in the field. Part of me would like to stay around and be on board when the city finishes off the (indoor) recreation complex,” said Burton. “I guess it just boils down to that it’s time. It just feels right.”
 
The departure will be the second in less than a year of a Bridgeport Department head with decades of experience. Bridgeport Community Development Director Randy Spellman was the most recent to step down as his last official day in his long-time capacity was Dec. 27.
 
Bridgeport City Manager Kim Haws, who lauded Spellman for his time with the city, had equally kind words for Burton. He said what he brings to the city is almost irreplaceable.
 
“Don has a tremendous way with people and you can see that with the relationships he’s developed with community  groups, sports groups all the others that do community events at a Parks facility,” said Haws. “The one thing that lets anyone that’s been around the city know that he’s successful with Parks and Recreation beyond how he handles people is the way you can see the community have such strong trust in the Parks program as a whole.
 
“I’ve really come to respect Don and lean on Don for his knowledge of Parks and Recreation during my time here,” Haws continued. “What really puts him over the top in what he does is he clearly has a deep love for this community.”
 
Burton isn’t from Bridgeport originally. In fact, he got his feet wet in the parks and recreation business in the southern part of the state before coming to Bridgeport to assume duties in September of 1987. Burton was working in St. Albans, the City of Charleston, the town of Belle and the Kanawha County Parks and Recreation.
 
Burton was working in St. Albans at the time the Bridgeport job came open. It sadly came open, Burton said, when his friend and former Bridgeport P&R Director Rick Sebastian passed away.
 
“We worked together at time times in Kanawha County through our state association and I knew about Bridgeport through our discussions,” said Burton.
 
When Burton saw the job posted for the director’s position, he applied. He was interviewed by a bevy of elected Bridgeport officials including Bud Hess, Nancy Chandler and Jim Taylor. Apparently, they liked what they heard from Burton as he’s been a fixture ever since.
 
Even had Burton been satisfied with leaving things as is, Bridgeport would have changed around him. However, Burton helped lead Bridgeport Parks and Recreation into major changes during his three decades.
 
“It’s night and day from when we started. You hate to say we had a shoestring budget, but the budget was small and tight so we tried to be progressive,” said Burton. “It was easy to do that because city leaders were progressive as well and encouraged that.”
 
Burton said there are many projects the city has taken during his time that are “under the radar,” but there are plenty that aren’t. He said the first major project came when working with Mayor Carl Furbee and led to one that is perhaps the most used recreation facility in Bridgeport.
 
“We worked on City Park, which was our first big one and we followed that with a lot more,” said Burton. “We did the Briarwood Park on property donated by Woody (Thrasher), the Sprayground, the basketball courts by the Bowstring Bridge, the Recreation Complex and more. Our programs have continually expanded.”
 
Burton said the diversity of programs is something he’s proud of, including some that have been around for nearly as long or longer than he’s been with the city. He said the use of the Civic Center for many events has helped develop a trust between his department and the community, while being able to develop new programs such as wrestling and basketball and community events like Hay Bales and Tall Tales and working with major programs such as Light Up Night.
 
“Parks and Recreation has always been at the forefront of the community and its residents. We’ve always, with the staff that I’ve had, been forward thinking and tried to stay ahead of the curve,” said Burton. “That thinking is still in place and why you see the Indoor Recreation Complex taking shape. I’m happy to have been on the ground floor of that, but I won’t be there when it’s finished.”
 
Burton will be able to do more things with his family. He said he plans to spend more time with his wife and long-time educator Kym Burton, as well as his adult children Grant and Sarah Burton and J.J. Starkey. However, he’s staying put in Bridgeport.
3
 
“Bridgeport has always been a big part of my life and it’s a place I will always call home. My father was in the service so I never really had a place to call home,” said Burton. “To be able to raise my family in such a wonderful community makes every bit of those 30 years’ worth it.”
 
Burton’s father served in the United States Air Force for 30 years. Growing up, Burton said he lived in Puerto Rico, Spain and 10 states across the country.
 
“That’s one reason I’m thankful to be able to have remained in one place,” said Burton. “This community has been nothing but good for me.”
 
Burton said that’s one of the things he’ll miss most – working with the community. He said interacting with residents of Bridgeport as well as those visiting has been special.
 
“I’ll miss the community, the staff and all of it. I guess maybe when looking back I’d do some things different, but overall I’m happy with how things turned out,” said Burton. “I’ve really been blessed with a great staff and working with (Deputy Director) Joe (Shuttleworth). What I’ve mentioned that was done wasn’t done by myself, but with the staff we’ve had and the support of past City Councils and the current City Council. The one thing everyone has had in common is they all have the best interest of the residents and community at the forefront of all they do.”
 
Haws said he’s confident that the Parks Department will move forward. Replacing Burton’s relationships, he said, can’t be duplicated.
 
“It’s the people knowledge he has that can’t be replaced because the technical stuff can be learned,” said Burton. “What he’s developed with people is irreplaceable.”
 
Eventually, the city will have to try to replace some of that irreplaceable. How that will go down hasn’t been determined, but Haws knows with the spring season coming up soon that having everything in order is critical.
 
“We’re still working on how to proceed,” Haws said Thursday. “We’ll get his input into the process for certain because we value it.”
 
Burton is certain he’ll find things to do. He’s also certain of what he’s going to do immediately.
 
“For a while, I’ll do as little as possible and have a little bit of fun, but I’ve been thinking I’ll probably pick up my old hobby of photography. I’d like to get back into that,” Burton said. “I might even work part-time to stay busy because I’m used to it. I guess the next adventure is about to begin.”


Connect Bridgeport
© 2024 Connect-Bridgeport.com