Hubbard

A new year means a new job and new challenges for Marshalltown native Geoff Hubbard who was recently hired as Marshalltown’s Parks & Recreation Director.

His first day on the job at 10 West State St. is Jan. 28.

The 1989 Marshalltown High School graduate most recently served as Council Bluffs’ Recreation Superintendent. Prior to that he worked in Sioux City.

“Ever since I started in Sioux City 18 years ago, I knew I wanted to progress and be promoted up to director,” he said. “To be director in Marshalltown was a plus, and it was a chance to go back home.”

Hubbard’s parents and a sister reside in Marshalltown, he said.

Marshalltown City Administrator Jessica Kinser said the interview team “found Hubbard to to be the best candidate for the job due to his experience in aquatic center management and parks and recreation in general. His progressive growth in management roles makes the job a great fit. Personally, I knew he was the candidate I wanted to hire when he asked about the financial future of the city looked like post-tornado. And when I gave him an honest answer, it did not sway him from his desire to be in Marshalltown.”

Hubbard, a 1994 Iowa State University graduate, said he is well aware of the challenges Marshalltown faces post-tornado, having been in town the weekend after July 19, helping a family friend tear down a garage.

He succeeds Anne Selness who resigned in August 2018 to accept the position of City Manager in Spring Grove, Minn.

Departmental activities were managed in the interim by veteran Parks & Recreation staff, Kinser and Human Resources Director Jill Petermeier.

He acknowledged that in working for any municipality, one must be prepared to labor within the constraints of limited budgets.

“It seemed like there was a 5 percent budget cut across the board every year in the nine years I worked in Sioux City,” he said. “When that process starts one can make easier adjustments like reducing advertising, or a little of this or a little of that … at some point someone has to make the hard decisions. For example in Sioux City, we decided not to open one of five neighborhood pools. Regardless one is still taking away a service in an area of town. One has to be prepared to make the tough hard decisions.”

Hubbard said he is excited about working with Marshalltown’s large Latino population, having worked with Latinos in Sioux City. Latinos make up an estimated one-fourth of Marshalltown’s population.

“A key to getting the Latino population engaged in Sioux City was learning to identify and connect with Latino leaders,” he said.

Hubbard may be contacted at 641-754-5715.

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Contact Mike Donahey at

641-753-6611 or

mdonahey@timesrepublican.com