30-YEAR PARKS HEAD WILL RETIRE AT SUMMER'S END.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer

The longtime general manager of the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District has announced his retirement, planning to leave the parks system after 30 years, officials said Tuesday.

Jerry Gladden, 66, will step down from the post at the end of the summer, bringing to a close a tenure highlighted by developing innovative ideas to keep the district solvent in lean times.

``It is a very sad day for the district,'' Jim Meredith, park district board chairman, said Tuesday. ``Jerry has an ability to work with the board and to be a visionary in many respects. With his leadership and the way he has worked for the board, it's been a perfect marriage and I'm sorry to see it end.''

Gladden said he had never been one to look forward to retirement, but recently he had begun thinking that it was about time. He said he has no immediate plans other than to spend time sprucing up his Simi Valley house and his car, traveling and visiting with his grandchildren.

``Whatever I do, it's going to be slower than I do it now,'' he said, noting his long hours at the office.

Gladden started at the park district in July 1969 as an administrative assistant. He was appointed general manager in December 1978.

True to form as a fiscal conservative, he put off his retirement until August so he could see the district's 1999-2000 budget through the approval process.

Meredith said Gladden saved the district millions of dollars when he suggested decades ago that it join an insurance pool with other recreation and parks districts to combat high liability and property insurance.

Gladden also is credited with helping to maintain and enhance recreational services in spite of financial setbacks from Proposition 13, which limited property taxes, and the Education Revenue Augmentation Funding, which further lowered revenue to park districts.

Among his fiscal accomplishments were his pursuit of grant funding that brought in $6.2 million over 25 years; he also established a lease concession program that generates more than $1.12 million annually; and fee-based recreation programs generate $2.1 million per year.

Gladden said when he retires, he will miss the people he's worked with and the community members he has gotten to know through his job. But most of all he will regret not being a part of the continued development of the parks.

``The system will never be totally complete, though some people think it is now,'' he said. ``I'll miss being a part of that completion process. There are a lot of parks yet to build.''

Officials said they have not yet decided how they will fill the position.