Parks and Recreation for the City of Broomfield, Colo. (Appointments).

Paul Derda, director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Broomfield, Colo., for the past 23 years, has announced his retirement effective at the end of 2002. Derda is a 38-year park and recreation professional and NRPA member. Derda spent five years in Kansas before serving as executive director of the Schaumburg (Ill.) Park District for 10 years. In 1978, Derda began his tenure in Broomfield.

As executive director for the City of Broomfield, Derda was involved in the remodeling of the recreation center, design and construction of Broomfield "Bay" Family Aquatic Park, Senior Citizens Center, Skate Park and Batting Cages, and over two dozen neighborhood parks throughout the community. Derda has also been a part of the team working with the design of Broomfeld's new 80,000-square-foot recreation center. Long known for community involvement, Derda has won the Outstanding Citizen Award, Service Youth Award and the Community Service Award. He has served as president of the Broomfield Rotary Club and on the Broomfield Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for two separate terms. Professionally, Derda has served on the NRPA Regional Council Board of Directors in 1984 to 1985, received the CRPA President's Award in 1990 and the CPRA Fellow Award in 1998. Derda has spoken and performed at several state and national conferences. Derda was a founding member of the infamous "People's Choice" comedy group, a collective of fellow parks and recreational professionals who performed at many functions, including their Reunion Tour at the 1980 NRPA Congress in Phoenix at the Brass Derby.