Q&A
What inspired you to pursue a career in parks and recreation? Back in college, I was working toward a psychology degree. My plan was to go into counseling because I wanted to work with kids. At the same time, I took a part-time job at a recreation center for the City of Mesa. I really enjoyed that environment and realized I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives in a different way. Once I got into parks and recreation and saw the positive impact you can make, I thought, this is a really cool career — you get to wake up, go to work, and do positive things every day . What excites you about returning to Maricopa? Maricopa is so passionate about parks and recreation. As a director, that’s exciting. People here love it, and it’s such a big part of their lives. When a community is that invested, it makes your work easier and more rewarding. You feel supported, and you have a good sense of what people want. Then it’s your job to figure out how to provide it. You’re still pretty new to this role. What are some priorities you’d like to accomplish in your first year? I want to hear directly from the people who participate in our programs—what they want, where they see opportunities, and how they think we should grow. With Maricopa’s rapid growth, how does the department keep up with demand for more parks, sports fields and amenities? In parks and recreation, we have a saying: the best time to build a park was 10 years ago . Take Copper Sky, for example. It’s 11 years old now, and it was the residents who decided to invest in it back in 2014. The cost then was about $50 million. If we tried to build that same facility today, it would easily cost $150 to $200 million. That’s why we want to stay ahead of the curve. We work to engage the community, understand needs, and plan accordingly. Maricopa has a lot of young families, but also a growing retiree population. So we have to think carefully about how to allocate resources — creating something for everyone while staying ahead of the city’s growth.
What’s your favorite existing program? That’s like asking me to pick a favorite child! But since I’ve been back, I’ve seen some really great things. For example, Copper Sky Multigenerational Center is truly living up to its name. At 6 or 7 a.m., I see college kids playing basketball, active seniors in chair aerobics and kids in the pool for after-school classes. In many cities, “multigenerational” centers tend to skew toward one age group or another. Here, it really is balanced. And Maricopa offers kids so many chances to play sports — football, basketball, Little League. If you’re a kid growing up here and want to try multiple sports, you can. That’s huge, because sports build skills like teamwork and leadership. Is there anything you’ve seen in other cities that could benefit Maricopa? Yes — more public-private partnerships. In Gilbert, that was one of my responsibilities, and it helped us expand what
I’m here to connect. I want to hear what residents want to see in their parks and recreation system. I’m excited about today, but I’m also looking 10 years down the road. When I last worked here, the population was around 50,000. Now it’s 80,000, and soon it’ll pass 100,000. My focus is on how we prepare for that — making sure services grow right along with the community. I have to ask — how much do you relate to the sitcom Parks and Recreation ? Honestly? A lot. I’m sure the show was meant as satire, but so many of the situations are spot-on — sometimes even tamer than reality. Inside the profession, it’s a running joke that the show is practically a documentary. We deal with those exact kinds of scenarios every day — town halls where people are upset, or unusual complaints like someone getting sick after drinking from a sprinkler. It’s funny, but also pretty true to life.
was available to the community. For example, we partnered with groups to bring batting cages at Freestone Park, an ice arena, and even an archery range. The city didn’t have to directly operate those amenities, but residents got more options without putting strain on municipal resources. It’s a model I think could work well here too. What do you want Maricopa residents to know about you as you begin this role? In many cities, “multigenerational” centers tend to skew toward one age group or another. Here, it really is balanced.
20th Annual
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I t’s been nearly a decade since Rocky Brown last walked the grounds of a Maricopa park in an official capacity. After years of leadership in Gilbert’s parks and recreation department, he’s back in Maricopa — this time as Parks and Recreation director. Brown previously served the city as a youth coordinator and recreation manager before moving on to Gilbert, where he worked as a business operations manager and assistant director. Now, he’s returned to lead the department through Maricopa’s next chapter of growth. He sat down with InMaricopa to talk about his career path, his vision for local recreation programs, and his take on the NBC sitcom that made city parks famous. Rocky returns The city’s new Parks and Recreation director talks growth, community needs and why the sitcom Parks and Recreation hits close to home BY MONICA D. SPENCER
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InMaricopa.com | October 2025
October 2025 | InMaricopa.com
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