Letter from the Executive Director
"Parks are a tangible reflection of the quality of life in a community. They provide identity for citizens and are a major factor in the perception of quality of life in a given community. Parks and recreation services are often cited as one of the most important factors in surveys of how livable communities are. ” Why Parks and Recreation are Essential Public Services, National Recreation and Park Association.
Dear Friends,
This report encapsulates the achievements, partnerships, and milestones experienced throughout the year and reflects the dedication and hard work of our team in maintaining the high standards of our agency. The past year has been remarkable for the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission, as we have witnessed continued growth in our overall participation, reaffirming the importance and popularity of the services we offer to the community. Despite the daily challenges posed from weather, schedules, and funding, our team’s commitment and perseverance have enabled us to achieve another record-breaking year, demonstrating our unwavering dedication to excellence.
Great partners…
We have the best partners…truly. We have so many great partnerships that we have formed over the years, and we are so blessed to have them. With confidence, I can say that our continued success is largely due to our ability to form lasting, win-win relationships with partners that have opened so many great opportunities for our community to enjoy. I am very thankful to have these relationships and can celebrate that we have so many great people and organizations in our community.
Looking ahead…
There is a lot of planning either in progress or kicking off in this coming year. I am very excited to re-engage with our community as we navigate through those processes. It is always critical to ensure we’re moving in step with the desires of our community. Quality of life continues to take significant steps forward in priority as a measurement tool of a successful community. We are seeing this focus more and more, which means our strategic efforts to ensure we’re keeping our fingers on the pulse of the community is evermore critical. There will be opportunities for every member of our community, over the next year, to help us in these planning efforts, so please be on the lookout for them. We will need your help!
I am honored to share this annual report with the relevant government leaders, stakeholders, and the general public. We hope that it provides a comprehensive overview of our accomplishments and future endeavors as a thriving parks and recreation agency. Thank you for your continued support.
Best regards,
Mark A. Smyers
Executive Director, Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission
