Macon-Bibb recreation director resigns, takes job in Florida

After five years of overseeing recreation in Macon, Dale “Doc” Dougherty will now do so on a much larger stage.

Dougherty is stepping down as Macon-Bibb County’s Recreation Department director to head up the Parks and Recreation Department in Hillsborough County, Florida.

Dougherty, who lived about 12 years in central Florida when he was growing up, said the opportunity was too good to pass.

“It’s a great career move,” he said. “They have a $20 million budget. It’s grown by 300,000 people in the last 15 years, and it’s expected to grow by another 500,000 over the next 20 years.”

Dougherty’s last day on the job in Macon will be July 10. Assistant Director Reggie Moore will serve as interim director until a search for a permanent director is conducted, Mayor Robert Reichert said.

“Hillsborough County is getting a good man,” Reichert said. “(Dougherty) transformed the recreation department and has done a lot of great things.”

Reichert said Moore will be considered for the permanent position.

In his resignation letter, Dougherty praised the people who work in his department as well as the many city and county officials he has worked with since he arrived in Macon in 2010.

“Through your leadership, along with the dedication and loyalty of my staff members, together we were able to develop a more professional and structured parks and recreation department,” the letter, addressed to Reichert, said in part.

Dougherty was hired by the former city government to run what was then the Parks and Recreation Department. That department was later transferred to Bibb County control as part of a new service delivery strategy between the city and county.

After the two governments consolidated, Parks and Recreation was split into separate departments: Recreation, which was run by Dougherty, and Parks & Beautification, which is overseen by Steve Lawson.

Among his accomplishments, Dougherty changed the structure of the grounds division to cut more grass on more properties; oversaw the redevelopment of Bowden Golf Course and a facelift for Luther Williams Stadium; and changed the Freedom Park Recreation Center gym from a basketball court to a boxing ring.

Dougherty said he will miss the people he worked with the most, as well as seeing many of the facilities being built or improved through special local option sales tax money.

Dougherty noted that while he often sparred with city and county officials over the years over various initiatives he wanted to launch, the arguments were often a good thing because it demonstrated passion on both sides of an issue.

“One thing about public administration, if you don’t like to fight, then it’s probably not the field for you,” he said.

To contact writer Phillip Ramati, call 744-4334.

This story was originally published June 17, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Macon-Bibb recreation director resigns, takes job in Florida ."