Carlisle Announces Mason McMillen as Parks & Recreation Superintendent
The City of Carlisle is happy to announce the hiring of Mason McMillen as our next Parks & Recreation Superintendent. Several quality candidates applied and an offer was made and accepted by Mason McMillen, currently of Dubuque, Iowa. City Administrator Deven Markley said, “We are happy to be bringing Mason on board. He handled himself well during the interview and has a good recreation-focused resume. I spoke with Council about entering a new phase of the Parks & Recreation Department’s lifetime that is focused on growing the department and its offerings from the solid base we have. Council and I all feel Mason will be able to take us into that next phase.”
Mason is originally from Reedsburg, Wisconsin. He is currently finishing his graduate degree in Coaching Leadership at Loras College in Dubuque and has a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management and Business Administration from Loras. At Loras, he has spent time earning academic achievements including 8 semesters on the Dean’s List, three years in National Honors Society, and graduated in the top 20 of his graduating class. Mason has also found success on the Loras Duhawk wrestling team with a record of 63-25 to date and is the Duhawk program’s first four-time Scholar All-American. Through his college career, Mason has also gained experience working as an assistant parks and recreation director in Reedsburg, Wisconsin.
Mayor Drew Merrifield had the following comments, “During the interview, there were two things that stood out to me about Mason. He is willing to jump in and get his hands dirty and he is willing to ask questions. If we are down an employee, we expect our department heads to jump in and help. In my conversations with Mason, I feel he fits this mold. Coming right out of college, Mason is unlikely to know all the answers. We have identified things we can do to help him find those answers from mentorships to utilizing current employees and the Parks Board in a little different way. On top of that, he is willing to admit when he doesn’t know something and ask for help. Both of those things will go a long way in a Parks & Recreation Department our size.”
The City posted the Parks & Recreation Superintendent position for 1 month in several locations including the city website, on the Iowa League of Cities website, Iowa Parks and Recreation Association website, and on the website Indeed. Applicants were vetted based on an application packet they submitted and interviews were conducted in early December. During the interview, Council discussed timing for a potential start date as Mason is currently finishing his Master’s degree and wrestling for Loras.
Councilman and Search Committee Member Justin Brower noted, “In talking with Mason, he will be able to do some distance work part-time in the next few months while he finishes up his degree. He is going to schedule some on-site time to get an understanding of Carlisle, meet people, and get his feet under himself before the busy summer season starts. Though we wish he could jump all in right now, Council felt it was important to work with Mason on finishing out his degree and wrestling commitments. Being a high-achieving college athlete, we are confident he will jump in and hit the ground running. We look forward to having him on board and seeing where he can take us.”