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City in hunt for community centre GM

With the $23.3 million worth of renovations almost complete at the Penticton Community Centre, the city is looking for a general manager to run the facility and its programs.

With the $23.3 million worth of renovations almost complete at the Penticton Community Centre, the city is looking for a general manager to run the facility and its programs.

According to city CAO Annette Antoniak, the GM will take on the responsibilities of current recreational manager Dave Lieskovsky, who will become the city’s facilities manager. The new position, she said, will resemble the one held by former director of parks, recreation and culture John Kirbyson up until he was let go last October and never replaced.

“Now that we are ready to operate (the PCC), we are filling the job but we are simply calling it something different,” said Antoniak. “Nothing has changed. It is the same as it was before. Obviously, we are going to have to hire some more lifeguards because the size of the operation has increased, which is currently being done. But we are not making changes at any senior levels outside of hiring a new general manager.”

Antoniak said the city wants someone with significant recreational management experience but also with an entrepreneurial spirit.

“We are looking for some creativity,” said Antoniak. “In talking to the staff, they have indicated that they would like to do more creative things because we have a brand new facility allows us to do that.”

Mayor Dan Ashton said with the building and its aquatic area expanded he would like to see programing at the PCC also expanded.

“I want to see the facility used more than what it was used before. We have dramatically increased the size of it and there are a lot more areas for activity,” said Ashton.  “There are some great people that work at that facility that are very effective in the community and I am quite sure they will do a good job.

“What I am hoping is that they utilize all the new space in there to make those kind of recreation programs (such as Penticton Steps Out) available to the people of Penticton.”

city@pentictonwesternnews.com