Tending Quality of Life

New Parks and Rec director, Jason Olsen, shares his vision for Norman’s Parks

Jason Olsen has served the City of Norman’s Parks and Recreation Department for nearly two decades. Recently, he assumed a new leadership role not even Olsen himself would have anticipated starting out in the field he accidentally fell in love with.

“Leader of the Department never crossed my mind, actually, especially not starting out,” Olsen said. “I was privileged to work with Jud Foster, who is just beloved in Norman. I was honored to be named as his replacement but those are some big shoes to fill.”

Foster retired in May, after working for the City for 42 years. Olsen is familiar with the Norman community both at work and at home. His wife, Liz, is an assistant principal at Whittier Middle School. Together, they chose to stay in Norman and raise daughter, Stella, 9, and son, Jaxon, 7.

“Between my work and living in the area, we are wrapped up in activities and knee-deep in programs. Our favorite park is Highland Village, and we love the Westwood Family Aquatic Center,” said Olsen. “We have no doubt in our minds that Norman is the best place for us and the best place for our family. It’s an excellent community to raise a family, with a great school system, and for as much as I hate to take anything for granted when it comes to the future, my children will probably go to OU. Our roots are deep here in Norman.”

Olsen credits his wife’s insistence for motivating him to finish college at Southern Nazarene University, a formality given his career was already underway.

“It was one of those things where you look back and think ‘It all makes sense. Parks and Recreation found me,’” he explained. “I feel so lucky to be in a community that invests in its youth, in the development of the Department, and in the development of resources serving everyone here.”

A graduate of Mustang High School, Olsen first considered a career in broadcast journalism, as he grew up admiring sportscasters.

“You know, as a kid, you kind of gravitate toward what you’re familiar with and what you could see yourself doing. I had seen sports announcers on TV and thought I could do that,” he explained “What you don’t realize is what professions are out there. I consider jobs in municipal service hidden professions.”

Olsen graduated from Mustang High School but took a job as a Bethany YMCA summer camp counselor. He eventually worked through the ranks and got involved with sports programs. After accepting a part-time opening, it became apparent he excelled at organizing basketball leagues, something he had done in high school as the son of a Nazarene minister. He and his wife actually met at a rec center location. It seems to Olsen, with absolute conviction, he was meant to be where he is, in both personal and professional aspects of life.

“My main job is to make people happy,” said Olsen. “Through creating programs for youth, sports, activities and events, you realize there’s more to do and there are opportunities in parks and green spaces. The way those changes impact not only your quality of life as a resident but also your community’s quality of life is a tremendous responsibility. It makes a direct impact on your neighbors and community.”

Olsen shared his vision for the Department as being centered on quality of life. He is quick to point out the vital role of municipal workers, including the Department of Parks and Recreation, which employs more than 60 full-time professionals and almost 200 seasonal staffers, including an average of 100 at Westwood alone.

“The Department is a financial driver in Norman, with more than 100 jobs available each summer for young people,” said Olsen. “Our lifeguards are the highest-paid municipal lifeguards of any in Oklahoma. We work around schedules of students for high school and college, and we know school comes first for them.”

Familiarizing young people with career options is also a benefit of participating in municipal government, regardless of the specific area.

“There are so many options out there and everybody’s role is so important. People are working behind the scenes to make sure the systems we depend on are in working order,” said Olsen, in recognition of the variety of roles, including firefighters, police officers, public works laborers and city clerks.

Seeing how community life ties together is key, especially when it comes to making quality of life possible for future generations, the impetus behind Norman Forward, a citizen-initiated proposal that passed in 2015 to fund specific quality of life improvements.

“Westwood and our libraries are open and completely changed, plus some parks, thanks to Norman Forward and the incredible investment by the citizens of Norman,” said Olsen. “A lot more is coming up too. We just broke ground at the end of July on the Young Family Athletic Center, which will include an amazing sports recreation complex.”

Basketball, volleyball, swimming and more will headline the center’s attractions, which will also bring athletes from other states to train and compete at the facility set to span more than 120,000 square feet. A partnership with Norman Regional Health Systems will help underwrite a portion dedicated to sports performance with 25,000-square-foot space.

“These are not the same parks you knew as a kid necessarily,” said Olsen, in reference to the 65 parks within the system he is tasked with overseeing. “Griffin Park is all about soccer while Reaves Park is mainly focused on baseball and softball. Ruby Grant Park is our little jewel, with hundreds of acres, trails, a playground, disc golf and more.

“Of course, we recently finished Andrews Skate Park as well, and in the southeast part of the city, there’s Saxon Park, which will feature an all-inclusive playground, trail and walking space.”

Olsen is also excited about the new Senior Wellness Center set to open in 2022, with groundbreaking and construction slated for this fall.

“Norman invested in itself; that’s the beautiful thing about Norman Forward,” said Olsen. “You’re going to see a lot of it come to fruition over the next year. My vision for the Parks System is that it belongs to the community. It should be what the community wants and what best serves our neighbors.”

The overall goal, Olsen explained, is for every person within Norman city limits to have access to a green space within walking distance or via a short bicycle ride or car ride.

“Not a whole lot of communities can offer that,” said Olsen.

Events are another aspect of community life the Parks and Recreation Department helps to enrich, including Norman’s Fourth Festival, mother/son and daddy/daughter dances and more.

“People love our special events, which have become a tradition and form the fabric of our community,” said Olsen. “There’s so much community involvement and people truly love their parks and what happens in public spaces at holidays.”

Public feedback is encouraged on all programs, including events. In fact, an effort to gauge public opinion will take place later this year, with formal analysis of events and programs.

Through it all, Olsen credits his staff, in addition to the support of the community.

“We depend on the communication of our residents to let us know how their parks are looking. Our maintenance crews do a tremendous job but we can get behind on mowing, especially in rainy spring weather. We are definitely trying,” said Olsen. “We want our parks to be beautiful. Don’t be afraid to reach out. Tell us if you see something.”

Olsen recognizes the way the Department supports key infrastructure as an administrator but also sees first-hand relevance as a local resident and father.

“We are here to make our residents’ lives better and our neighbors’ lives better,” said Olsen. – BSM