Citrus County staff mark Parks and Recreation Professional Day, highlight community programs and facilities

Jerry Moore, parks and recreation director for Citrus County, opened a brief staff recognition by announcing “Today is Parks and Recreation Professional Day” and thanking employees for their work keeping county parks running.

Alice Mary Herding, a recreation program specialist for Citrus County Parks and Recreation, said she focuses on bringing programs into the community. “What I love is getting out there in the community and putting on together programs and events,” Herding said.

Sean Barnes, the department's recreation operations supervisor, said his priority is ensuring the county provides strong programs for young people and older residents. "My favorite part of my job is, making sure we are putting on good programs for the youth and the seniors of our county," Barnes said.

Chris Sands, manager of park services, who said he has worked in the department for about 25'to 26 years, described maintaining green spaces, sports complexes and boat ramps as the most rewarding part of the work. "Being able to go out... and walk away at the end of the day knowing what we left behind for the community to enjoy," Sands said.

Shelby Stanton, administrative assistant for parks and recreation, closed the remarks with a call of thanks to colleagues for helping make the department "stronger and more resilient." The staff remarks served as recognition of the range of roles that support county parks and the programs they run for residents.