Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Director Josh Collins, right, who is retiring October 1, is pictured above at Solway Park East during a May 2012 ribbon-cutting for a 2.4-mile extension of the Melton Lake Greenway.

Josh Collins, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department director, will retire October 1, City Manager Mark Watson said Friday.

Collins has worked for the city for nearly 30 years. He started in 1985 and now manages a department with more than 80 full-time and seasonal personnel, a press release said. Collins oversees the city’s park system, greenways, recreational programs, the Senior Center, and activities ranging from summer camps, aquatics, and the Secret City Festival.

Collins also serves as the staff liaison to the city’s Recreation and Parks Advisory Board, which has been instrumental in completing projects such as the Pavilion on Melton Lake, the release said. [Read more…]