18
Wednesday, May 9, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
GARRETT: New SPRD
director is happy
to be here
Continued from page 1
with his parents and two sis-
ters to Montana, where he
ended up graduating from
the University of Montana in
Missoula with a degree in rec-
reation management. Garrett
said that even as a boy he was
busy organizing games in the
neighborhood or making up
his own games. His summer
jobs were at the YMCA and
guiding raft trips, and in the
winter he taught skiing.
“It just made sense to get a
degree in doing what I love,”
Garrett said.
Fire, his 8-year-old Dutch
shepherd dog, who was a
rescue, accompanied Garrett
in his move to Sisters. They
have completed advanced
obedience training together.
If asked, Garrett is happy to
share photos of Fire, a beauti-
ful brindle, flat-coated herding
dog.
Garrett knew he was
accepting a position that came
with some challenges, includ-
ing a low tax base for funding
and a history of frequent staff
turnover.
“If it (the job) wasn’t a
challenge, I wouldn’t be here.
You only do great things
when you’re challenged.
Everywhere I’ve been, it’s
been challenging,” Garrett
said.
“A dynamic organization in
a time of transition and change
means there is the possibility
that great things can happen,”
he continued. “I like to think
of challenges as opportunities
requiring my diligent effort.”
Acknowledging how new
he is to Sisters and his job,
he looks forward to confer-
ring with his staff, board,
and the community at large.
He plans to capitalize on the
vast knowledge and wealth of
skills of people in the commu-
nity to help grow programs.
Garrett is impressed with
the abundant resources avail-
able in Sisters, simply by
virtue of the location of the
Coffield Center near the
schools, the local people, the
climate, and the overall envi-
ronment in Sisters.
“At our current headquar-
ters we have the amenity of
a trail system right out our
door,” he pointed out. “The
activities we can do are
endless.”
If the levy option passes on
May 15, Garrett said he has so
many ideas for classes, pro-
grams, senior activities, and
staffing. He indicated some
of his long-term ideas would
rely on future expansion of the
facilities.
He would particularly
like to see the SPRD build-
ing become a main hub for
community activities and a
place for socialization for all
ages. He wants to be sure to
not duplicate services and
activities already being pro-
vided in the community.
If the levy is not approved,
Garrett said, “No matter what,
we’ll continue to enhance the
quality of life in Sisters.”
He indicated there would
probably be a need for more
fund-raising activities. And he
would be interested in meet-
ing people who would like to
help out. Garrrett wants to see
available funds “go directly
to the kids,” making sure
“the funding makes it to the
ground.”
The bottom line for Garrett
is that “the future is so bright.”
His dream is to “build upon
what we have, including the
Coffield Center, and answer-
ing requests from the public as
best we can.
“I want to make this a
place where many activities
and services are all under one
umbrella, whether it is an art
class or tai-chi for a one-year-
old with her parent or some-
one over 100. If SPRD can
be a gathering place where all
people hang out, that trans-
lates to town at large, building
relationships.”
Garrett envisions the for-
mer teen room, which he
thinks is underutilized, as a
viable space to create a gath-
ering place.
PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD
Todd Garrett and Fire are settling into Sisters.
The new ED is fully aware
that “Shannon (Rackowski)
is synonymous with SPRD.
It was immediately appar-
ent that Shannon is not only
respected, but truly loved by
the community.”
Although Rackowski
resigned from her full-time
position with SPRD effec-
tive mid-May, Garrett said,
“Fortunately, she is still going
to do her classes and cook
wonderful meals on contract
for us. She is so gracious she’s
even going to work for the
GNW Sports Camp.”
Garrett is very apprecia-
tive of the help Shannon has
provided him to go forward
with this summer’s programs,
particularly the Glory Daze
Car Show, with which he is
excited to be involved.
He shared that, “Everything
happens for a reason. I knew
immediately Sisters was my
place. Whether I got the job
or not, I was coming to Sisters
regardless.”
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