As director of community recreation and education, Kevin Mitrano, who started in August, is taking on responsibilities from the Parks and Recreation Commission and the school administration in a newly created position. Mitrano was hired to reduce the number of administrative tasks placed on Parks and Rec volunteers and to fill two open positions in the schools.
Kevin Mitrano. (Courtesy photo)
The position was created after “two fortuitous retirements at the same time,” said School Superintendent Linda Dwight. Judy Cavanaugh, who led community education, retired, along with Deb Mayo, who managed Bridges, the before- and after-school program. Parks and Rec chair Bob O’Shea had been working with Dwight for several years to realize their vision for a position that combined the roles of a recreation director, which the town has never had, and a director of community education and after-school programs. The two seized this as their opportunity.
The school administration will pay for the position through fees charged to families for Bridges, Summer Adventure, and other community education programs, according to Dwight. Revenue from Parks and Rec programs and fees will also be used to pay for the position. While Dwight said revenue from these programs is unknown because they are under development, Mitrano’s starting salary is about $70,000.
Mitrano, a resident of Littleton, was the ideal candidate, according to Dwight. He had experience as a former sixth-grade science teacher in Athol and was the executive director of the Trustees of Brantwood Camp, a nonprofit in New Hampshire that runs summer camp programs for underprivileged children. Mitrano also serves on the Parks and Recreation Commission in Littleton, which he said gives him knowledge on the back and front ends of his new position.
“It was one of those perfect storms when I read the job description,” said Mitrano. “I definitely have experience in all aspects of what they were looking for, so it was a good match.”
Now, Mitrano is talking to residents to determine what they want most from a community education program and familiarizing himself with what programs the town has offered in the past. For Parks and Rec, Mitrano is working on overseeing the ski and beach programs, taking over the payment of bills and collection of funds, and building new programs. O’Shea said he is discussing new sailing and boating programs with Mitrano as well.
“I think that’s sort of the key, is just trying to find out what the folks in Harvard are looking for,” said Mitrano. “What they see as gaps in programming, and then trying to sort of meet those needs.”
Since Mitrano was hired, O’Shea has been able to devote more time to other Parks and Recreation projects, he said. “I was filling in and doing all the CivicRec and transactional work,” said O’Shea, referring to the software system that handles billing and payments for Parks and Rec. He added that he can focus more on field maintenance, one of the commission’s biggest issues this year. “It’s a large job associated with the beach and all the reservations, swimming lessons, and then also scheduling of all the fields.” Mitrano now manages CivicRec and has also implemented it on the school administration side.
For the school administration, Mitrano is adding new programs for students and managing past ones. “One of the things we want is for him to make community ed more robust,” said Dwight. The school’s community education program is designed to provide opportunities for residents and students to engage in educational, recreational, and community-based activities. “He’s got an office here in the district, so he’s the consistent face to those programs.”
Mitrano is getting the elementary school theater program back up and running after it was suspended during the pandemic. Dwight said he also added a new magic program for the students, and will continue to manage Bridges.
“I think one of the best things about the role is that it allows for continuity past when volunteers are involved,” said Dwight. “This also gives the public a person to come see, as opposed to the all-volunteer board.”
