T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY — Kelsie Stafford, who currently holds the same position in Wilton, is tentatively set to start as the new Marshalltown Parks and Recreation director on June 16.

When Prophetstown, Ill. native Kelsie Stafford first enrolled at the University of Iowa in 2011, she studied microbiology before taking a “hard turn” into the world of parks and recreation. She eventually graduated with a degree in sport and recreation management in 2016 and gained valuable experience doing seasonal work for the cities of Iowa City and Coralville along the way.

In 2018, Stafford accepted a position with the city of Muscatine and spent almost six years there as a Parks and Recreation program supervisor before becoming the director of the reestablished Parks and Recreation department in Wilton (pop. 2,930) late in 2023. Later this month, she will embark on a new journey and take on the same role in Marshalltown, a community she has already found herself impressed with during the limited time she has visited.

As she recounted what attracted her to Marshalltown, Stafford said she met former Parks and Rec Director Geoff Hubbard during a fall workshop here a few years ago.

“Geoff was showing us all around, and it was great because he was so passionate about Marshalltown,” she said. “And I enjoyed all the things here that we did as far as the workshop. I was like ‘OK, this is a great community. This is awesome.'”

Stafford also has previous experience with current Marshalltown City Administrator Carol Webb, who came from Muscatine and held the same role there for about four years.

“It’s gotta be a great place to work if she’s heading it up, and it is very similar. (We’re) definitely peer cities, so I have had that kind of experience,” Stafford said. “I actually came up here the day before my interview and drove around to just kind of see what it’s all about, and I just had a great feeling leaving here that Sunday. And everyone I interviewed with here was so amazing, and so I was just feeling very blessed to have the job offer.”

Webb reciprocated the praise as she spoke of the decision to hire Stafford.

“She did great things in Muscatine with experience in recreation, special events, and youth and adult recreational sports. Adding her experience as parks and rec director in Wilton makes her a great, well rounded fit for the position. She will be a great addition to the Marshalltown team,” Webb said.

She will be coming onboard at a time of great progress with parks and recreation projects in Marshalltown, including the Apgar Family Water Plaza and a series of improvements to Riverview Park, the city’s largest. Stafford noted that she has already worked with the engineering firm Bolton and Menk on projects in Wilton, so it should be an easy transition.

“(My goals are) seeing those projects through (and) obviously getting to know the community and the staff. I can’t really say I’m excited to implement anything because I don’t know how it is currently going,” she said. “I think my biggest goal is just to learn the city processes, get to know the staff, of course — that’s going to be my first goal — and just see where they need me to help and how we can accomplish as much as possible most efficiently.”

And while her direct predecessor, Jeff Evenson, lasted just two months in the position before submitting his resignation, Stafford, who is currently in the process of looking for a home in Marshalltown, wants to assure the public that she’s here for the long haul.

“I can’t speak to that person’s character or experience, but I know that my character and my experience is wanting to, like I said, be invested, be here for the long haul and do the best I can in the time period I’m here — whether that’s 10 years (or) longer than that, I don’t know,” she said. “But yes, when I start in a community, I’m very invested, and that’s just who I am as a person. I’m excited to bring that to Marshalltown.”

Outside of work, Stafford is a “jack of all trades” with interests in crafting, cycling, playing sand volleyball and pickleball and enjoying the great outdoors.

“I’m just kind of involved in lots of different things as parks and rec professionals usually are,” she said.

The tentative plan is for Stafford to start in Marshalltown on June 16.

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Contact Robert Maharry

at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.