City park district director resigns

After years of service to the community, Dennis Nybo has submitted his resignation as New Rockford's Park District Director – a position he's held since 2018.

Having completed his time at the local park district on Friday, Oct. 6, Nybo will start his new position as Superintendent of Parks and Recreation in Devils Lake on Monday, Oct. 16.

Nybo said it'll be tough to move on, and expressed plenty of thanks for the community and those who've worked with him to achieve great things at the New Rockford Park District.

"I thoroughly enjoyed New Rockford," said Nybo. "It's a great little community. ... The citizens are second to none. They're always there, they're always helping, they always like to see things and be active."

Before coming to New Rockford in the summer of 2018, Nybo was the golf course manager with the Devils Lake Park District for two years, and prior to that he was with the Bismarck Park District for 28 years.

For his many years of dedicated service Nybo has already earned a place on the North Dakota Recreation and Park Association (NDRPA) Hall of Fame, having received numerous awards and accolades for his work with recreation and athletics.

Nybo is a National Recreation and Park Association gold medal award winner from 1993, and was a gold medal finalist in 1991, 1992 and 1999.

He was also awarded the NDRPA's "Fellow Award" in 2003, earned a certificate of service from the Hershey's National Track and Field Program, and was a committee member for the World Curling Championships in 2002 – just to name a few.

Since coming to New Rockford, Nybo has worked to ensure the city's parks and open spaces remain clean and welcoming for residents and visitors alike, while also bringing much-needed changes and new ideas to the area.

"I think one of the big one's was moving our warming house from the old site where it's been since the '50s, to over by the pool," said Nybo. "Another one that will be coming is the kayaking and paddle boat rentals next year. We have everything in line and everything else prepared so be ready for that."

Nybo also put together New Rockford's inaugural daddy-daughter dance this February, helped celebrate the park district's 100th anniversary and ensured numerous opportunities for New Rockford's youth to stay active.

"I couldn't have done it without the staff," said Nybo. "From the part-timers and the people I work with through the city, to our commissioners and everybody else. They're the best."

Nybo said he'll be staying in New Rockford and commuting to work for the time being, but that his position ultimately requires residency in Devils Lake.

"I want to thank everybody in the community as a whole," said Nybo. "They've been very welcoming with open arms."

As for the New Rockford Park District, they're currently advertising for a new director and Nybo said the park district board will be taking over a majority of the work that needs to be done between now and winter.

The advertisement for the open position is on page B2 of this week's County Extra. Anyone interested in applying for the director position should send a cover letter, resume and references to 117 1st St. South in New Rockford, N.D., or via email to [email protected].

A full job description and requirements are available for download from the City of New Rockford's website: http://www.cityofnewrockford.com.