Petersburg is advertising for a new director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

The borough has posted that job only within the state and in Petersburg as well as on the department’s Facebook page.

The last director Chandra Thornburg resigned March 2nd after more than three years on the job. Borough manager Steve Giesbrecht has been acting director since then.

“Well I think we’re not doing parks and rec justice with me trying to do this,” Giesbrecht said this week. “I can continue doing as we’re doing but I can’t give it my full attention and they deserve and the community deserves someone that is really focused on parks and rec. I was really more focused on keeping things together, working with the existing staff and trying to stabilize things especially through the pandemic and I think with mostly the work of the staff we’ve done a really good job of that. But I think it’s time to take it to the next step and that means having a dedicated department head over there.”

The department has a budget of around one point $1.1 million with 11 full-time staff, along with part time and seasonal workers. It runs the borough’s community gym and pool and maintains parks, playgrounds, the cemetery and numerous trails.

Giesbrecht said it’s possible out-of-town candidates could visit for interviews. “I think it’s important for people to see Petersburg,” the manager said. “You know I’ve encouraged Stephanie Payne to apply and I think she will, who’s been in some ways acting director over there in a lot of parts of the job. And we’ll see if there’s other local candidates as well as people here in Alaska. I thought I’d start there rather advertising throughout the lower-48. But if we get into the process and are not getting enough good candidates, we can expand it.”

Payne is the facilities supervisor. The new director could be working with a newly reformed advisory board. That group had its first meeting Wednesday. The borough assembly voted to restart that board earlier this year.

The deadline for applications is October 13 and there’s more information about the job posting on the borough’s website.