Special to the Daily News

The Sulphur Parks and Recreation Board of Commissioners has selected Laurie Koelzer to serve as the new director.

“We have an incredible hardworking team and I care deeply about advancing excellence and fostering staff development as we continue to build upon the existing recreational infrastructure and explore new opportunities for building a healthy and resilient quality of life for our community,” said Koelzer upon accepting the position of director. “I plan to uphold and continue our mission in providing the finest sports, recreation and park facilities.”

Koelzer replaces Steven Gayfield who served as the SPAR director from 2015 until Feb. 2022.

For the past 21 years, Koelzer has worked under the direction of both Norman Farr and Gayfield. During this time, she demonstrated strong leadership skills in overseeing the daily operations of the administration office, including budgeting and finance operations for the parks, fields, golf course and waterpark.

Proving her strength in times of adversity, she has been an integral part of hurricane recovery and navigation through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Out of all the applicants and multiple rounds of interviews, Laurie was the best fit for the Sulphur Parks and Recreation Director position,” SPAR Board President, Mitch Bowers said. “Laurie has not only been a strong advocate for parks and recreational options in our community, but she is a team player and mentor to each member of her staff.

“I am excited to see what she has in store for SPAR under her directorship.”

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