Parks Director moving to new job

Life at times presents situations that are bittersweet. City of Wimberley Parks Director Rebecca Manning is leaving her position on June 7 to take a position at Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Caddo Lake State Park.

One of Manning’s biggest tasks ask Parks Director was not only managing and caring for Blue Hole Regional Park but also making sure the park is accessible to locals – not just tourists.

When the previous Parks Director left, Manning was hired and told by the city administrator “make this park for Wimberley too. Not just for visitors.”

While the park attracts thousands of visitors every summer, helping drive Wimberley’s economy, there also needs to be access for local residents to enjoy the park.

“I understand we were serving the tourists but not the city. It just wasn’t happening at the time,” Manning said. “It was a baby park, not serving this community… with the new reservation system the reward is better and there are more well-developed programs for the community.”

Initiatives prioritizing local use can be seen throughout the park activities.

On Wimberley Nights, staff clears out the swimming area on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights and only allows residents of the 78676 zip code back in after 6:30 p.m. There is always something going on at Blue Hole, even when it isn’t swimming season. There are family camping nights, movies in the park, Blue Christmas, music in the Park, star parties and plenty more. It is what a city park should be to its community.

Manning also oversaw Old Baldy, Cypress Creek Nature Trail and was an advisor for the Patsy Glenn Wildlife Refuge.

Manning’s enthusiasm for her job and her love of nature is obvious when she is in her element, that is outside and surrounded by trees.

“Wimberley cares more than any other city that I have seen,” Manning said.

That local mantra fit as one of Manning’s passions is protecting parkland.

Originally, she wasn’t planning of working in parks. Manning received her B.A. in Public Relations and Journalism but, getting into the real world, she found individuals were not really into teamwork but rather self-promotion. She did a lot of soul searching, wondering how to make a difference in the world.

“I really grew up in state parks, we toured all summer long,” Manning said of her youth.

This helped in her decision-making. She went back to school.

She arrived at Blue Hole after receiving her M.A. in Recreation Administration from Texas State. Getting a part time position at Blue Hole. “For the first time I realized I was coming in early and staying late,” Manning said.

“Any experience you can give me,” was what she said when she was hired and which included lavatory duty. It was a labor of love though.

But the job itself had its down points, too. The major one is just one word, “politics.” Trying to please the different factions is a major undertaking as anyone can imagine. But Manning was able to get policy decisions passed, something she is proud of.

As it tends to happen, life can be bittersweet. Manning was hired on as a part-time employee with potential. She was eventually promoted to Director of Blue Hole Regional Park before taking over as the city’s Parks Director fulfilling that potential along the way.

While she will be sorely missed, her goal has always been to work with Texas Parks and Wildlife, something she will soon be doing at Caddo Lake State Park.