FSU professor becomes new Bay County parks and rec manager

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Bay County has a new addition to the staff.

Florida State University professor Joy Saddler has joined the county as the new parks and recreation division manager.

Saddler has been a part of the FSU PC faculty for the last decade teaching in the recreation, tourism, and events department.

She said she wants to use that experience to bring more of a service attitude to the county’s parks and rec.

She said gaining more community feedback is one of her main priorities and she is excited to start expanding the department.

“We’ve been focusing on the cleanup of Hurricane Michael for the last three years,” Bay County Parks and Recreation Division Manager Joy Saddler said. “Now we’re focusing on the parks and works themselves and bringing improvements. And it has enhancements and expanding programs and facilities. So we’re excited about that and about my team.”

One of the first initiatives Saddler implemented was requiring her staff to be CPR-certified and first-aid trained.