Celebrating DPR Director, Rhonda B. Parker

After years of commitment and dedication to serving the City of Durham community, Rhonda Parker, the Director of Durham Parks and Recreation, has announced her retirement, which will begin in March 2020. It is with mixed emotions as we prepare to say farewell that we congratulate Rhonda on her successes and wish her the absolute best as she heads into this next chapter of life as a retiree. She has bravely led our department through ups and downs, new initiatives, staff changes and so much more! Before we officially say goodbye, we asked some DPR staff to share favorite memories, initiatives and words of encouragement for Rhonda and here is what they had to say!

"Watching her eyes light up when Doug E Fresh hit the stage at Bimbé. It was then that I realized that our Director was cool."

"One morning, on a particularly windy day, Rhonda came rushing into the building and  per usual she was saying her good mornings to everyone.  For some reason I looked up to respond and asked “Rhonda, do you have a meeting this morning?”  She responded “Why do you ask?” and I simply gestured and said “The wind has gotten a hold of your hair and you may want to fix that if you do.” she laughed and from that point forward it became a bit of a running joke on occasion that we would share."

"When I hear the expression “open door policy” I will always think of Rhonda. She created a welcoming environment, and staff from every level felt comfortable with walking in her office for a quick chat. I will also miss her expressive sayings: “no need to recreate the wheel, “there’s a method to my madness” and “is it Friday yet”!"

"Rhonda has had a lifelong career of service. For over 44 years, she has been a public servant and has frequently made many sacrifices. It has been a pleasure working with her. I congratulate her on an incredible career and wish her nothing but the best during her next phase in life. May she have a long life, health, and happiness together. The wheel has come full circle, and it’s time to begin again."

"I wish nothing but the best for Rhonda and her family as they continue their journey in life. You have truly left your mark on this community with your passion for all things parks and recreation. Thank you for your leadership, positive attitude and all the special memories. We may get new leadership, but that doesn’t mean we will get a leader who inspires us like you did. Farewell to a boss, who I will dearly miss. I have truly enjoyed working with you every day! You deserve the best this life has to offer and while your farewell tour at DPR has come to end, your legacy will live on in our hearts."

"I hope you are able to check off all of the items on your bucket list, that you have many happy moments with your family and make a lot of new memories with your new found time.  Last, I do hope that you find someone to keep an eye out on your hair and will let you know when it needs a little TLC!  Best wishes and good luck with all that you have ahead of you in life."

As you can see, we are truly thankful for the time we had under the leader of Rhonda B. Parker as the Director of Durham Parks and Recreation. While words do not seem to do justice, thank you for everything, Rhonda!