Brownwood News – Longtime City of Brownwood employee David Withers is retiring soon.  Withers has worked for the City for over 34 years, and has been Director of the Parks and Recreation Department for 27 years.  His retirement will come at the end of December 2020.

Withers is a graduate of Brownwood High School and Howard Payne University.  After college, he spent a few years working for Superior Cable and Kohler Co.  In 1986 he was hired by Rodger Sweeney as Assistant Manager of the Brownwood Coliseum.  Seven years later he worked his way up to the top of the Parks and Recreation Department, and has led that department ever since.  Indeed, the name David Withers is almost synonymous with the words Brownwood Parks and Recreation.

Over those years Withers worked for two mayors (Bert V. Massey III and Stephen Haynes) and five different City Managers.  He was responsible for seven different areas within the Parks and Recreation Department:  Brownwood Coliseum, Park Department (19 parks and 317 acres), Recreation Department (116 acres), Aquatics (Camp Bowie Aquatic Center, Wiggins Pool, and three splash pads), Senior Citizens Center, the Lehnis Train Museum, and the Sports Coordinator.  He oversaw as many as 92 employees, counting Supervisors, full-time employees, part-time employees, and seasonal employees.

To say he was a busy man is an obvious understatement, but Withers always had time for anyone and a smile on his face.  “I could not have done it without a great group of employees and the support of the City administration.”

When asked what changes he saw in his time in the Parks and Recreation Department, the list was long:

***  Park upgrades (Coggin playground, Cecil Holman Park, Pat Coursey Park, Gladys Seward Park, Riverside Park playground, the disk golf course, Mayes Skate Park, Trigg playground, Wiggins Trees and Pavilion, Fabis Primitive Park, Camp Bowie Memorial Park, and three splash pads)

*** Coliseum upgrades (new balcony seating, electrical upgrades, lighting dimmer system, additional locker rooms, and new marquee)

*** Massey Sports Complex (12 youth baseball and softball fields)

*** Camp Bowie Family Aquatic Center

*** Brownwood Soccer Complex (22 fields)

*** Coliseum Annex (aka Senior Citizens Building)

*** Additional pavilions, restrooms, walking and biking trails

Speaking of the above projects, Withers said “I am proud of all of them.  I wish we had enough money to do all our projects, but I fully understand why we can’t do everything.  Certainly some of the larger projects — the Massey Sports Complex, the new Aquatic Center, the new Senior Citizens Center — we are very proud of.”

And how is this job rewarding?  “The most rewarding part of the job is being able to go to the parks and recreation facilities and see families enjoying those parks and recreation activities.  My grandkids think I have the best job in the world.  They say ‘Let’s go to Poppy’s park!’ ”

Withers made the case for the importance of his Department:  “The Parks and Recreation is very important to the quality of life in Brownwood, because when you get businesses that want to come to Brownwood, they look at what does the community have to offer…  You talk to a lot of people in Brownwood and they ask ‘How many parks do you have?’  People know about the big parks like Coggin, Riverside, Allcorn, but they don’t realize we have 19 parks and 317 acres of parks.  The parents and grandparents can take the kids out to all these different parks.  You don’t have to have a lot of money to use these parks and have a good time there.  We have nice equipment there for people to use, walking trails, etc., and I think that’s really important when you look at quality of life.”

Asked what he hopes to see in the future for the Parks and Rec Department?  “I would like to see a lot more new playground equipment.  Certainly Coggin, Riverside, Trigg, and Lednicky Parks have received new equipment recently.  But there is a lot more to come.  Having playground equipment spread all over town, I think that’s very important.  We have neighborhood parks, you don’t have to go across town to play in a park.”

And how about his future in retirement?  “I plan on spending more time with my kids and grandkids.  I have several little projects around the house.  I will help take care of my mother.  I just plan to slow things down and enjoy it.  I’ve had a bass boat for years, but probably only taken it out once or twice.  I would like to be able to do some fishing.”

We hope so.  Withers has earned some fishing time.

A retirement ceremony for Withers will be held Tuesday, November 24 at 1:00 p.m. at the Coggin Park pavilion.  The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.