The Sisters Park & Recreation District board of directors has selected a new executive director, just two months shy of the possible renewal of the levy that funds the district.

Todd Garrett, 46, of Whitefish, Montana, was chosen from a pool of 16 candidates to fill the position vacated by Liam Hughes, who left in January to take a position in Pendleton.

“I am extremely elated to have been selected,” Garrett said. “When you are dealing with public programs, it’s fun to be in areas that offer really neat resources, like clean air and water, for example, and friendly people. Just like in Sisters. I feel fortunate to land in that area that truly embraces that (park and recreation) culture.”

Garrett always thought he would find a career “somewhere between a P.E. teacher and a park ranger,” he said, and has focused on the parks and recreation field.

He received a degree in recreation management from the University of Montana in 1995 and has since worked as the recreation coordinator and interim director of the parks and recreation department for the city of Whitefish. Garrett was responsible for public recreation access for the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department.

He worked as the director of the fairgrounds in Missoula County.

His varied experience includes summers as a rafting guide and working with at-risk youth in Missoula County. The work that enhances a healthy, outdoor lifestyle is important to the vitality of a community, and Sisters is a small town that endorses that higher quality of life, Garrett said.

“Todd has, by far, the most recreation experience, and the board agreed he was the best fit,” said Jeff Tryens, vice-chair of SPRD board of directors. “He’s a mountain guy, and he will be a very positive addition to the community for a long time. We are quite happy with our selection.”

While he is excited for his new life in Sisters, there are multiple obstacles he will face in the immediate future, he said.

Garrett’s first day will come a few weeks before the primary election on May 15, in which Sisters residents will vote on a measure that would implement a five-year levy to help fund recreation programs and facilities in the district. The district is proposing a 15 cent levy per $1,000 of assessed value — an increase in property taxes by more than 3 percent.

“He was quite aware that the option is on the ballot, and he’s trying to get here to let the community know who’s leading the organization into the future,” Tryens said. “People care about the parks and recreation in Sisters. He is not expecting everything to be perfectly in place, and I think he’s a guy who can handle that. The board is confident in him.”

The levy will be his first task as soon as he gets to Central Oregon, although getting to Sisters may prove to be a more daunting task, Garrett said.

When the board of directors called him to offer him the position, Garrett was stuck camping in a remote area of Montana with a broken trailer, he said.

“I’m still figuring out how to get (to Sisters),” he said. “I will be there with or without a trailer by the end of the month. I’m just looking forward to getting there and settling in. Any move is intimidating to a certain degree, but I think it’s better to be joining a growing district — even with a ballot option — instead of one that’s stagnant. The timing is what is it. Above all, I hope people continue to support SPRD.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7829, acolosky@bendbulletin.com