Five questions with … Jackson Township parks Superintendent David Ruwadi

On Dec 26, 2021

David Ruwadi, Superintendent with Jackson Township Park and Recreation . Monday, December 20, 2021.

Five Questions – David R. Ruwadi – Jan. 2

David Ruwadi has been working with the parks system in Jackson Township for 30 years. He is the Park and Recreation Superintendent for the township. He was born in Jackson Township and graduated from Jackson High School in 1974. David still lives in Jackson Township. He is dating Jeannie and he has one son (also named David) who is a computer engineer.

“My Jackson High School class saying was, ‘We are the greatest, say no more, we’re the class of ’74,’ ” David said. “Among other activities, I was in the Jackson choir and the Jacks-N-Jills during my high school years.”

David has taken part in numerous education and training classes to gain the knowledge and experience he needs to work in a position to maintain the parks in Jackson Township. He has taken The Ohio State University (OSU) and Ohio Parks and Recreation Association (OPRA) continuing education classes and is OSHA Certified. He has a commercial operator’s license and is licensed by the Department of Agriculture. David keeps current with new trends by being a member of the Ohio Parks and Recreation and the Ohio Turf Grass Associations.

He also attended classes to become an Underground Technologies Competent Person. Plus, David is a Pioneer Field of Excellence Award recipient.

He said working with the township is highly rewarding.

“Being a public servant is not like any other job out there because it’s about dealing with the public and making decisions that need to be the best for the community. Working with the parks system is not an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job. We are in the parks as needed. After 30 years on the job, it is still very rewarding.”

Park visitors will find David in one of the parks working on anything from getting the pond ready for a kids’ fishing contest to making sure all the rides and food vendors are set up for the annual Community Celebration and every task in between.

Meet David Ruwadi.

1. What are some of the tasks you do as part of the Jackson Township Parks department?

I create and manage the township parks and recreation budget. I also schedule sports groups for field usage throughout our parks system. Plus, I schedule the daily workload, manage construction and projects within the parks and manage upkeep of buildings and equipment. I’m also part of the planning team that manages all park related projects including the community celebrations and other year-round programs throughout the system.

My job before working for Parks was building weapons for the government under contract for which I had to hold security clearances. Last contract I worked at was at Goodyear Aerospace.

2. How did you become interested in working outdoors with a parks system?

After Goodyear was sold, I expressed an interest in working in the parks. I was encouraged to apply for a position with the township parks by the building and grounds director from the Jackson Local Schools with approval from the school board and the Jackson Township Trustees.

Through my previous positions, I became very familiar with maintenance, and I had great organizing skills. Plus I had supervisory experience, which fit the needs of the parks position.

3. What has surprised you most over the years about the parks?

One of the things that has surprised me the most over the years is how much we have grown and how many parks we now have in our system. We have six parks and the Stuhldreher Street Fields. Plus, the number of people who use the parks has grown tremendously over the years. With the continued support of the community, the board of trustees, and Randy Gonzalez as trustee and then as fiscal officer, we have achieved a lot with the parks in Jackson Township over the past 30 years. And we just continue to grow.

4. Do you have a favorite story about working outdoors that you would like to share?

My favorite stories involve how nice it is to always see all the families and children enjoying what the township has provided for them. It is impressive to see how much everyone enjoys being in our parks for the different events and their own gatherings throughout the year.

5. What is your favorite and least favorite times of the year in the parks and why?

All the seasons have varying weather conditions, which presents a slew of different maintenance challenges. One of the good things about the seasonal changes is that they always create an everchanging environment, which is good for a variety of activities and fun for visitors to enjoy. The changing seasons provide more reasons for residents to keep coming back throughout the year to use the parks system.