Roswell, Georgia’s, Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs Department is having a good Park and Recreation Month. Having clinched Parks & Recreation magazine’s cover photo contest, it’s only fitting we spotlight the agency’s capable Marketing Supervisor, Jenny Hagauer. Beginning her career in the realm of sports events management — and organizing large-scale tournaments in multiple sports, including the U.S. Senior Open, Magic City Classic, SEC Baseball and others — Hagauer eventually identified the passions that drive her career: “events and community outreach.” “I began looking for a local government position that would allow me to work with both. Lucky for me, Roswell and I found each other and it’s been an exciting adventure from the start. I have transitioned from planning events and programs to promoting them, which engages and allows me to use my creative side to support the agency and the community around me. I feel at home in recreation and parks and love having fun at work every day!” We caught up with Hagauer to learn more about her work and efforts in Roswell around Park and Recreation Month:

Parks & Recreation magazine: As marketing supervisor, you play a role in promoting Roswell’s many programs and initiatives — what’s been one of your favorite campaigns?

Jenny Hagauer: Within the last year our agency created a Health and Wellness Division to promote active and healthy lifestyles and to encourage our community to go outside and enjoy a park. To inspire activity, we developed the “Free Fitness in the Park” series which is held in greenspaces around the community. This outdoor program includes yoga, boot camp and Zumba in a group exercise setting. 

This campaign is one of my favorites because of the connection it creates between our community and our parks. “Free Fitness in the Park” is a program that is open to participation from our youngest citizen to our most active adults. I love this part of my job — promoting a free opportunity that enhances the quality of life for my community and endorses a healthy lifestyle.  We have found that through this kind of multi-medium promotion, we are able to activate passive park spaces and encourage community involvement with our new Health and Wellness Division. 

P&R:Why does Roswell make such a concerted effort to be involved with Park and Recreation Month?

Hagauer: Roswell Recreation, Parks, Historic and Cultural Affairs Department believes in NRPA’s Three Pillars — Health and Wellness, Social Equity and Conservation. This designated month allows us to highlight our agency’s efforts to promote these essential principles. We believe all active residents are superheroes and that these Three Pillars can be their tools to positively impact Roswell!

With July being extremely hot in Georgia, residents have a tendency to stay indoors instead of participating in outdoor activity. Our hope is that Park and Recreation Month encourages families to unplug from technology and play in our parks!

P&R: Your agency won this year’s Parks & Recreation magazine cover contest — what does the winning photo convey about Roswell Recreation and Parks?

Hagauer: Roswell, a “Premiere Riverside Community,” is known for its gorgeous views of the Chattahoochee River and the numerous recreation opportunities it provides. The photograph captures how important this local landmark is to our community. We allocate a great amount of time and resources to protecting and maintaining its natural beauty. Because of the importance of this natural resource, our community rallied behind this social media campaign and answered our calls to action to secure the win. This demonstrates how connected our citizens are to the agency through our online presence. We all love the “Hooch” and are so happy to have the opportunity to share this photo with all of your readers. 

— Samantha Bartram, Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine