FARMINGTON – Joe Nelson loves the outdoors, spending time with his wife, being with kids and the excitement of his new job.
He’s Farmington’s new Parks and Recreation Department assistant director, and Director Steve Shible thinks the 27-year-old is the perfect fit for the job.
“I met him soon after he applied, and I just saw a lot of potential to go through and help me to manage this department for the long term,” Shible said Thursday.
“For me, he’s the final fit as far as the pieces of the puzzle. Relationship-wise we’re off to a real strong start. I enjoy his company and he’s sincerely interested in trying to keep things going” at the department.
Nelson hit the ground running last week, Shible said, when he arrived at work before 6 a.m. Tuesday to help run the town’s annual Flagg Family Fourth of July Fishing Derby.
“That was a lot of fun,” Nelson said.
Seated in the office he now shares with Shible on Thursday, he said so far he’s enjoyed every day on the job. “It’s been chaotic – so busy,” he said with a grin. He said he loves the variety of work the job entails, and thrives on the occasional stress of juggling administration, programming, office work and working with the public. “I would rather be stressed and busy than bored at work,” he said.
Nelson graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington, where he started out majoring in education and switched over to psychology before graduation.
He has worked in educational settings and doing everything from dishes to serving to managing at the Granary Brew Pub in town.
He bought a house in New Portland nearly two years ago, and lives there now with Melanie, his wife of nearly one year. He smiled when first asked about his hobbies. “Well, I have a house,” he said. “We work a lot on the house.” He said he likes gardening, hiking and golfing, and said he spends “a lot of time enjoying my wife’s company.”
The fact Nelson is somewhat settled down was a point in his favor with the department, Shible said. Aside from making a good first impression, being good with people, and being keen to learn the job, he seems happy to live in the area and “has the youth for what we’ve been looking for for what would be termed to be succession planning,” Shible said.
“Maybe at some point in time he would be a good transition blend for somebody to replace me,” he said.
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