Naperville park officials, new leader eager, happy to head into new era

For Daniel Betts, it's a little like coming home again.

Betts, who's set to assume his duties as Naperville Park District's executive director on March 24, was born and raised in Chicago and still refers to himself as "a son of Illinois."

So when a friend informed him of the job opening in Naperville, Denver's deputy manager of recreation and facility services didn't waste much time before tossing his hat in the ring.

The park board approved his employment agreement Thursday night after officials selected him from a field of 89 applicants.

Betts said he received a copy of the contract Friday morning and was planning to review it later in the day.

Details haven't been made public, but he said he insisted the pact cover more than a year.

Betts said he visited Naperville twice and has a solid understanding of the challenges and opportunities the park district presents.

"It seemed like a really good fit," he said. "They (park board members) are committed to making this work."

He said members appear "very much into the parks and green space aspect of what they do."

But he also knows he's the district's eighth leader in 12 years. The last three "permanent" directors left under a cloud -- including predecessor Barbara Heller, who resigned last March in the midst of a long-running dispute over a proposed recreation center in Frontier Park.

Betts, 40, has been deputy manager of recreation in Denver since 2004 where he's had responsibilities for 29 recreation centers, 12 indoor and 16 outdoor pools, and 283 athletic fields.

Naperville leaders say he brings experience in operational and strategic management, long-range planning and leadership.

Board member Suzanne Hart, who traveled to Denver before the board offered the position to Betts, said she was impressed by his camaraderie with team members and his knowledge base.

"You had the sense that we did it -- we did it, we picked the right one," she said.

"They've done amazing things in Denver," Hart said, and Betts' role in that will give him a leg up when he arrives.

In addition to his interest in parks and recreation, Betts has a long background in social work and sociology.

"I've been working with communities and families for the last 15 or 20 years," he said. "I've always had this passion … working to improve communities. I was born with that spirit and passion. This has always been a part of my DNA."

Betts, who is married and has two daughters ages 7 and 10, said he plans to move his family here as soon possible.

"You'd have to be living under a rock for these past five years" not to know about the city's reputation for high-quality schools and libraries, he said. "Our goal is to absolutely move to Naperville."

It's too early to outline any specific goals for the district, he said. Instead he wants to huddle with as many people as possible during his first few months to get a feel for the district and community and to identify people "who are interested in working collaboratively."

But while Betts says he's looking forward to his new job, some work remains in his present position.

"I'm still doing my job in Denver," he said. "I'm still giving Denver citizens 100 percent of my time and energy."