The Natchitoches City Council passed a resolution at its Aug. 24 meeting to confirm the appointment of Blake Dodson as the Recreation Director for the City of Natchitoches. Dodson had been with the City of Natchitoches Recreation & Parks Department since January 2020, serving as Assistant Director before recently being appointed Director.
Before coming to the City, Dodson spent six years teaching physical education at Marthaville Elementary & Junior High and several years working in youth and showcase baseball, directing events across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Florida.
Natchitoches had been home to Dodson for a long time, and through recreation and youth sports, he said he had been fortunate to build relationships with families, coaches, children and community members.
Dodson said he was most excited about continuing to build a Parks & Recreation Department that the community felt connected to and proud of.
“We have great facilities, but I’ve always believed Parks & Recreation is about much more than fields, gyms and buildings. It’s about people,” Dodson said.
He said the department’s role included giving children a place to belong, giving families positive experiences together and making sure every child had an opportunity to participate. One of the things Dodson said he was most proud of was the department’s Angel Fund, which had helped hundreds of local children participate in recreation programs when registration costs may have otherwise kept them from playing.
“As Director, I want to build on what we already do well while finding new ways to serve our community,” Dodson said.
He said that included taking care of existing facilities, creating new opportunities for children and families and keeping the department connected to the people it served.
Dodson said he had always called one of his favorite measurements of success “Hugs and High Fives.”
“When kids are excited to see our staff, families feel welcome at our facilities, and our parks are places people genuinely want to be, we’re doing something right,” Dodson said.
Dodson said he was grateful for the opportunity and excited about what was ahead for Natchitoches Recreation & Parks.