Winter 2019-20 Hometown Messenger

Messenger Hometown

News from the City of Shakopee | Winter 2018

CITY NEWSLETTER Show off Shakopee Jay Tobin Mayor's Message City Calendar "Shakopee U" A Look Back Election 2018 Tips to TackleWinter #AsktheCity: Cyber Security Public Safety Corner Crime Prevention Calendar Spotlight: Get fit in 2019

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Jay Tobin's journey from Iraq to Shakopee Parks and Recreation welcomes new director by Jon Lyksett When I arrived to interview Shakopee’s new Parks and Recreation Director, I was greeted by Jay Tobin saying, “It’s beautiful outside. Let’s take a drive and do this interview over at Tahpah Park.” So, we drove to the park and stopped at Joe Schleper Stadium. “Isn’t this place spectacular” he remarked about the stadium. “I admire the drive and determination it took for the community to build and maintain something like this.” Above: Parks and Recreation Director Jay Tobin converses with a group of seniors playing cribbage at the Community Center.

I asked Jay how he ended up in Shakopee as the city’s Parks and Recreation Director. He explained his philosophy of “everything is about lessons learned” - ideas, thoughts and experiences gathered from previous positions. Tobin’s experiences, it turns out, are nothing short of incredible.

"It's clear that there's a premium on transparency in this city." Jay Tobin Parks and Recreation Director

Cover Photo: Community Center members participate in a 50/50 workout program.

After growing up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Tobin decided to enlist in the Marine Corps at age 17. During the 80’s, he served at the American Embassy in London, as well as was stationed in Cairo. After six years with the Marines, Jay transitioned to the Army, where he was commissioned as an officer, and served in Germany, Kosovo and the Balkans. “On September 11th, 2001 I was a Brigade Logistics Officer in the 1st Infantry Division and

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