On Feb. 1, Whitesboro Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) director Penny Renfroe celebrated her 40th year working with the City of Whitesboro.
On Jan. 31, Renfroe was lured to City Hall under the guise of a meeting with City Administrator Phil Harris, which turned out to be a surprise reception with cake and co-workers.
The Beginning
The PARD began in the spring of 1980, with the new construction of the Jimmie O. Rector Community Center. Built with the end of urban renewal dollars, the center was named for a Whitesboro local who was instrumental in securing community development grants.
The land where the building sits had been a city dump, and once filled in became home to the community center, city pool and (behind the building) a golf driving-range. (Over time, as interest waned, the range was eventually reconfigured into soccer fields, which remain today.)
Before then, the city pool was located next to (the current) Hayes Primary School, and it was run by the school district. There was no PARD. A school coach was hired to run the pool during the summers, and local teens were hired to work as lifeguards. When the new community center was built, it just made sense to move the pool to that same property.
In 1981, the first year the pool was relocated, Whitesboro teen Renfroe (then known as Penny Culpepper) worked as a lifeguard. The following year, she was the lead lifeguard, and in spring of ’83 she earned her water safety instructor certification with the Red Cross. That summer, she worked as the pool manager.
Renfroe took the following summer off to finish earning her degree in social work at the University of Texas at Arlington. During that time, she served an internship at a co-ed federal prison, working with inmates undergoing drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Renfroe also interned at a shelter for battered women and a children’s youth home run by Catholic Charities.
“My parents always modeled community and volunteerism,” Renfroe said. “They were very involved in the community, working behind the scenes, and instilled a love for serving others.”
Renfroe graduated college December 1984 and was looking for a full-time job. Then-City Administrator Fayelynn Anderson was looking for someone to serve as the PARD director.
Keith Jenkins had served as the first director, and he had laid a good foundation and established some policies. After Jenkins, Bill Thorton served for a brief time, but the job had been vacant for awhile. Renfroe applied in January and was hired Feb. 1.
“I think it was my background in aquatics and my degree in social work and community development that made me a strong candidate,” Renfroe said.
Duties
As PARD Director, Renfroe fills a number of duties. She directs and implements departmental budgets, oversees leisure services and develops the overall vision for the department. The PARD handles three major categories: recreation/programming (there are currently four full-time employees and some part-time workers), parks (there are currently four full-time employees) and the pool (managed by roughly 23 part-time/seasonal staff).
Among the first activities and classes originally offered by the department were basketweaving, belly dancing, tumbling, baton twirling, square dancing, self defense and children’s sports (basketball for 5th and 6th grades and baseball/softball for ages 7 through 18.)
Currently, the department offers eight different summer camps, karate, children’s spring and Christmas activity workshops, a father/daughter dance, spring community art show, winter camp, youth recreational sports (basketball for 3rd – 6th grades, baseball/softball/tee-ball for ages 5 – 15 years, soccer for ages 4 to 9, volleyball for 3rd through 6th grades) and other special classes and events.
“The biggest change I’ve seen in my 40 years with the PARD is that the way people do life is different now,” Renfroe said. “We (at the PARD) like to create opportunities that encourage face-to-face participation. We like to get kids doing things with their hands, so we created camps that are hands-on and interactional. Ultimately, we want to serve people well. The goal hasn’t changed, but the ‘how’ has had to change.”
Career Highlights
While Renfroe has seen several developmental changes in her 40 years with the city, from the development of new parks to the addition of lights at the ball fields, the project she is most proud of is the construction of Godwin Park.
Originally the site of Whitesboro’s rodeo grounds, the arena posed several challenges for the city, not the least of which was the havoc the dust and sand from weekend events played on the community pool.
“Every Saturday night was Play Day, where local kids could come and ride, barrel race and calf scramble. It was great for them, but then we would come to work on Monday and spend days vacuuming arena dirt out of the pool,” Renfroe said.
Through a combination of grants and community fundraising, the rodeo grounds were relocated to Nolan Road off of Highway 82 and the park was built, literally, by community members who came together to work on its construction.
“Not only does Godwin Park have a great layout and amenities, but it is a representation of community,” Renfroe said. “The story of the park’s history and how community organizations came together is the real representation of Whitesboro. Organizations, such as the Whitesboro Community Improvement Committee, the Whitesboro Riding Club, the Godwin Foundation and the Whitesboro Park Foundation, all came together in the most beautiful way. Blended with city staff efforts and community members, we can all see the product of unity.”
Other career highlights include projects like building the Field of Dreams (now the high school fields) and renovating Whitecotton Park. However, Renfroe’s greatest personal accomplishment came in 2017 when she achieved her American Red Cross Instructor Trainer certification for Water, Safety Instructors (WSIT).
“Without a doubt, this was the most difficult and strenuous accomplishment of my professional career,” Renfroe said. “And today I am able to use the WSIT certification for the benefit of our community by training water safety instructors on my staff who then teach our children water safety and how to swim.”
Renfroe has now trained 40 lifeguard staffs and has reached a point in her career where she is now hiring the children of lifeguards that worked for her in their teens.
A Vision for the Future
When asked how long she sees herself in her current role, Renfroe thought for a moment.
“Until I no longer have a vision for the future,” she said.
Looking ahead, Renfroe has big plans for a flagship park that serves as a reflection of the community and provides a place for people to “simply be.” This would include a reinvention of Center Street Park and a 4th Street extension, all of which will take time and money to achieve.
“I like planning, organizing and making lists. I love teaching and empowering people – that’s what gives me the most joy,” Renfroe said. “In this job, every season is different. We’re constantly transitioning from one thing to the next. This role encompasses a lot of jobs in one. I’m really blessed.”
When not serving as Whitesboro’s PARD Director, Renfroe serves as a care pastor at OneChurch in Whitesboro; enjoys writing (her first published book, Threads of the Father: Weaving His Words into our Daily Lives, is a best-seller); and spending time with her family.
If there’s one thing Renfroe wants people to know, it’s that her door is always open.
“Have ideas? Bring them! Share your concerns and desires,” she said. “We want everyone to feel welcome, heard and seen. I really encourage face-to-face conversations. Ultimately, I want to serve people well, with a spirit of excellence and honor.”
To learn more about the Whitesboro PARD and to keep up with events and activities, visit www.whitesboro.org/pard