By: Donovan W. Mann – [email protected]
Humboldt, IA – The Humboldt Recreation Center is now under new management after council approves the promotion of a current employee.
On Monday, Aug. 3 the Humboldt City Council approved the hiring of Michelle Mann to be the next manager for the Humboldt Rec Center. She talks about taking the position, the transition and what she can expect as the new manager.
Mann says that the transition should be an easy one and not much will change due to familiarity with former management. She starts by saying she’s very appreciative of receiving the promotion. Having worked for almost two years under previous rec center manager and current Humboldt Rec Director Paxton Petersen, Mann says that there shouldn’t be too much different for the public. She also says having this previous experience at the rec center should smooth out the transition for her and the staff.
The rec center manager works right under the rec director, helping take some of the work load of the day to day operations of the facility. Mann plans to embrace this responsibility and taking some of the “smaller things” off of Petersen’s plate. Mann says Petersen will still be involved heavily with the Rec Center but has many different “hats” she wears as the rec director. “But I’ll there to take some of those little things off her play that takes up a lot of her time” Mann finishes.
Michelle Mann started at the Humboldt Rec Center as a part time employee back when the facility first opened in 2018. It wasn’t long after that she moved up to the position of supervisor. She is also a certified athletic trainer and conducts the rec centers acceleration and speed training program. Before Humboldt she worked for 20 years at the Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge as an athletic trainer, covering three different schools. She has a degree in athletic training and minor in biology from Buena Vista University.
Petersen says she is confident in Mann’s ability to perform the duties of the position. “Michelle’s going to be great” the rec director says. She says during their time together at the Rec Center they did a lot of work together. She says Mann will do “great” and that it will run “really well.”
As an employee of the city Mann was approved by Humboldt’s City Council to being her tenure. The council approved her unanimously and is excited to see her in the position going forward.