30 years of Caring for Syracuse Parks

BY: JESSE BRANTLEY

PRINCIPAL RECREATION PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR CITY OF SYRACUSE PARKS AND RECREACTION

So maybe a little history of myself may help with this one.  I am a lifelong Southside resident of Syracuse.  I went to elementary school at Elmwood Middle School at Clary and high school at Corcoran (Cougars for life, I bleed Maroon).  The only time that I didn’t live here was when I went to College in Albany, N.Y. (College of St. Rose, which has unfortunately closed recently).  Upon my return home from school, I was unsure what I was going to do.  So, my intent was to get just a summer job working for the Parks Department and then see what happens.

After that glorious summer I had with the Parks, I hadn’t decided on grad school or anything yet.  I just decided, “Hey, I like what I do, I’m not stressing about money so let me just take advantage of an opportunity for fulltime employment that was offered.”  30 years later, here I am continuing to seize each opportunity I have had here. These days I work as the Principal Recreation Program Director for the department.

In my 30 years, the evolution of the department has been nothing short of amazing for me!  I have seen a lot of firsts (installation of Clinton Square, new obstacle course, and enclosure at Burnet, etc.…).  I have been truly blessed to be under great leadership since I have been here and have watched each Commissioner put their own spin on how the department can grow.

Not only have I seen the department evolve, but I've also created plenty of memories that will continue with me for the rest of my life. Recalling a “favorite" would be tough for me, but I am particularly fond of a couple. One, being a Southside kid and having attended parks facilities/parks as a participant really makes me love what I do even more.  There are times when I’m out in public and I see a young person, and they approach me and ask if I remember when they were participants at the youth recreation centers.  Sometimes I can recall, but what makes it special is when they reflect/remind me of interactions that we have had and how that changed their mindset at the time and helped them make good choices.  As I said before, I am truly blessed to be doing what I love to do.

Now, recalling a favorite memory is tough but choosing a favorite park is not. Kirk Park is easily my favorite and was five minutes from my backyard, so that’s like home for me.  Not only due to proximity but being an athlete (basketball – Cougars for life) all the players played at Kirk Park when I was younger.  It helped me develop as a player and an individual.  Older players would steer me in the right direction not only on the court but off as well. In the winter, I had to make the trip to the Southwest Community Center.  That was home for me every day after school.  Speaking of firsts, when they replaced the floor with a new wood floor early in my career, I saved a piece of the old flooring for memories to help me appreciate what we have and what started to evolve.

To sum it up, I could have chosen to work in a variety of different places over the course of the past 30 years.  Some may have even paid more, but I don’t believe they would have given me one of the greatest opportunities – the ability to help others help make this city a great place to live!

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