Tyler Mitchell excited to take over as Charles City Parks and Recreation director

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

Tyler Mitchell is an active participant in Charles City.

The former all-state pitcher for the Comet baseball team isn’t shy about involving himself in numerous activities throughout “America’s Hometown.”

He’s hoping you do, too.

Mitchell took over for longtime Charles City Parks and Recreation Director Steve Lindaman last week. Lindaman had held the position since 1982 and was employed with the city in some form or fashion since 1976.

“Steve’s done a lot of great things in this department. It’s hard to replace a guy like that,” said Mitchell. “What I’m trying to do is build off of what he’s already started.”

The Parks and Rec Department oversees the Charles City Whitewater Park, which was completed in 2011 and was the first of its kind in Iowa. Mitchell will also help oversee Lion’s Pool and the numerous city parks in Charles City.

He said there’s plenty of outdoor endeavors that can keep residents in touch with nature as well as provide exciting opportunities for tourists who plan trips to visit Charles City.

“The big thing I want to do is help get this community more involved in different activities,” said Mitchell.

If you’ve seen Mitchell on the lanes at Comet Bowl, you may be aware of his propensity to sling 300 games. He’s in charge of the men’s bowling association in town, plays slow-pitch softball and also competes in city golf leagues. He’s is also on a local youth 4-H committee.

“I’m constantly out doing stuff within the community,” said Mitchell.

The 2011 Charles City High School graduate said his familiarity with his hometown will help him build bridges with the school system and local YMCA.

Another big part of his job is oversight of the city’s Wildwood Golf Course in town.

“With this job you’ve got to be really good with communication, have great people skills. That kind of helped with everything I do throughout the community. I got to know the community well before this job,” Mitchell said.

The YMCA is a key component on the recreation side of the Parks and Rec Department. Mitchell said he has known YMCA Executive Director Lance Lasher and Program Director Jaime Caffrey for quite some time.

“The YMCA has a lot to do with recreation. Here for the city Parks and Rec, we have some resources they don’t. They have some we don’t. So if we work together on a lot of that stuff we can really benefit this community,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell graduated from Iowa State University in 2015 with a degree in ag education. His job before taking over at the helm of the Parks and Rec Department here in Charles City was as an agriculture specialist II. Mitchell ran the Borlaug Learning Center in Nashua – a farm that conducts pesticide training and crop research.

“I was in charge of different budgets. I didn’t do park and rec there, but a lot of stuff I did there transitions in to this job real well,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell beat out 48 applicants for the opportunity to replace Lindaman. While he said he is still learning the ropes, Lindaman did help him catch up to speed for about two weeks.

“The big thing he’s kind of stressed is don’t be afraid to ask questions,” Mitchell said of Lindaman’s advice.

“He knows all the policy procedures, everything to do. Well I’m coming in and I’m still learning them,” said Mitchell. “And it’s a lot of knowledge coming my way right away. I’m trying to process everything. He’s mentioned just to step back and look at everything and don’t let it overwhelm you.”

Mitchell’s father is Jerry Mitchell, grounds and transportation director for the Charles City Community School District. Tyler and his wife, Moriah, were married less than two years ago. She works in the office at MTE (Machine Tool Engineering) in Charles City.

“I’m just really looking forward to the position. I’m excited to take off where Steve left off and keep building and keep working on things,” said Mitchell.

“This year is going to be a big learning year. We are in the heart of the season. It’s going to take time but we’re going to get it to be something that everyone is going to really enjoy around this town.”