Sevierville recognizes Bob Parker for 45 years of service

Posted 11-19-24.

City of Sevierville Golf and Parks and Recreation Director Bob Parker has reached a milestone of 45 years of service with the City, making him one of the longest serving City employees ever.

Parker was hired as parks and recreation department director in 1979. At that time, department consisted of one full-time maintenance person and 15 part-time employees. Today, the department has 25 full-time and 75 part-time employees.

Over his 45 years of service, Parker has been instrumental in many large projects, grants, and program successes. “Bob is the ultimate team player. His fingerprints are all over Sevierville,” said Sevierville City Administrator Russell Treadway. “City Park, the Community Center, greenways, blueways, and Winterfest all have benefited from his leadership. In addition, the City’s working relationships with the schools, local baseball and soccer organizations, and the local swim association are all a product of Bob’s efforts. His dedication and perseverance are unmatched.”

Some of Parker’s career highlights are listed below.
• Development and management of the Community Center, which opened in July 1982.
• Development of the City greenway program, which has utilized numerous grants and now consists of 12 miles of greenways.
• Development and management of the Civic Center, which was repurposed from a privately owned movie theater into a multi-purpose facility in1998.
• Successfully garnering numerous grants for City Park improvements, including tennis court and pool upgrades, construction of new pickleball courts and additions to the dog park.
• Development of Northview Optimist Park in the early 1990’s.
• Management of the Winterfest lighting program.
• 40 consecutive years as a Tree City USA.
• Management of the downtown streetscapes landscaping and ongoing maintenance.
• Instituted the City landscaping division and infusion of flowers throughout the City.
• 1991 Tennessee Parks and Recreation president, and Fellow Award recipient in 1999, the highest professional service award.

Even after 45 years of service, Parker still oversees several important projects. In 2018, a parks and recreation master plan was developed under Parker’s leadership. As a result of the master plan, the following projects are underway.
• Expansion and upgrades at the Community Center, expected completion in April 2025.
• Development of a blueway system, with five blueway landings planned to be completed in 2025.
• Upgrades at City Park are scheduled to begin in June 2025 with a completion date of December 2026.
• Implementation of the Parks and Recreation Foundation, which fosters partnerships with private persons and entities for the betterment of facilities.