Pam Carroll is the Recreation Director for the City of La Porte. She was born and raised in La Porte and attended La Porte High School. She has dedicated 34 years of her life to the Recreation Department.
Carroll has been the Recreation Director for a year now this month, but has worked in the Recreation Department since 1979.
Carroll was hired one day when she was found by one of the many Recreation Director from the past, picking up litter in a park. She was immediately offered a job as a concession worker. She continued to work as part time office staff through high school and the La Porte Business College until she was hired as the Administrative assistant in 1982.
She later took on the role of the office manager, which was her position up until last year when she started as the Director. Carroll has truly worked from the ground up for her community.
Carroll says her favorite thing about her job is the variety of people and things to do. “Nothing has ever the same. Everyday brings something new,” she said. “Different activities, different people walking through the door, the changing of the seasons.”
“The community is one of the reasons I’ve stayed here and take pride in what I do and what the department does all the way from the maintenance staff, volunteers, part time people. It’s our goal to provide a good product for the community.”
Carroll goal as the director is to give as much to the community as possible at a low cost. Her job duties as the Director includes organizing programs, advertising, hiring, working with volunteers, finding sponsors for teams and programs, and finding new people to offer new programs to the community.
“I’m always looking for something new to offer for the community. What the community may want, what the community needs.”
She has been married to her husband Chuck for 34 years, which is just as long as she’s worked for the department. “A lot of great things happened 34 years ago.” said Carroll.
They are avid Colts fans and season ticket holders. Carroll also has two grown children. Her daughter is a sign language interpreter in Indianapolis and her son is a manager for the Downtown Hilton in Fort Wayne. She is extremely proud of them.
In her spare time she also likes to enjoy the parks in La Porte. “As much as I’m in the parks everyday, I like to go out and enjoy them at night.” “We like to just go sit out there, maybe take a walk through the trails.”
Carroll says that the parks of La Porte are a very important part of the community. “It’s a be outdoor kind of thing. Instead of being inside and being cooped up in front of TV for the kids. And it’s a place parents can go out and play with their kids and enjoy the massive about of parks, first off, that we have, because we don’t have just one centralized park. We have so many park areas and the lakes and we’re just so fortunate for that. Yeah, it’s something the whole community should be proud of.”
In her first as Director, seeing the community come forward first hand has been one thing that has really impressed her. “It’s amazing to me how many community members step up and become volunteers for us, for our youth programs.”
Seeing all the volunteers work hard practice after practice and class after class for the youth of the community is something that really stands out to her.
After spending a successful first year at the Recreation Director in La Porte, observing everything and taking everything in, Carroll hopes that this year, she’ll be able to makes some changes and adjustments to the City’s yearly programs and events.
Carroll is always looking for talented people in La Porte to hold classes and programs for the community. She hopes one day she’ll be able to find another basket weaving instructor. Basket weaving is one of her favorite hobbies.
This Friday, July 22 is La Porte’s 5th Annual Night Bike Ride. The event is the one year marker of the first event Carroll organized when she first became the Director of Recreation. The relaxing, family friendly 13 mile bike ride begins at 10 pm at Soldier’s Memorial Park.