The City of Rawlins is excited to welcome Nikki Howell as our newest Recreation Programmer. Nikki, who was raised here, participated in numerous programs offered through the Rawlins Family Recreation Center, so she knows the value of special programs and little league sports firsthand. Now as a mom, she said she is, “really excited to bring all that back and get the kids involved again.” Nikki has a bachelor in Business and a background of 15 years combined experience in banking. She is “grateful for her experience, but excited to be on a new adventure.”
Nikki helped roll out six special programs and events to keep area youth busy during winter break. Nikki stated, “Thank you for sharing your kids with us over the winter break! At all the events, we had no major issues from infant through 8th grade, and hope they had as much fun as we did. The middle schoolers blew us away with their polite behavior, healthy competition, and helpfulness. Keep an eye out for more activities for kids and adults coming soon!”
Nikki shares the same passion as our other Recreation Programmer, Randy Flamig, who was hired in July as solo programmer. Randy joined us in April as the Rec Assistant before being promoted to the Programmer. He moved to Rawlins from Sidney, NE in 2019. He brings a lot of public experience from working in retail for 32 years, school board for 20 years, and helping referee sports for 27 years. Randy has been an amazing asset to our Rec Center by helping lead senior classes and youth sports.
Since being hired as the Rec Programmer in July, Randy has helped with summer youth activities, Music in the Park, and Adult Softball. He has been the director of Youth Football and Basketball programs and Co-ed Volleyball this fall. Randy stated, “I am glad to be able to have this opportunity to work with our community in this capacity. Stop in and say hey anytime. If you have any questions please feel free to give me a call.”
Longtime Superintendent of Recreation Patti Hays said, “I think these two people were a great investment for us, as well as our leadership that changed. We’re on the right track — the whole Parks and Recreation department is, not just the Rec Center.”
In September, Parks and Recreation Director Jason Sehon requested the City Council’s permission to hire a second recreation programmer. Jason was able to reduce the seasonal employee budget in such a way that hiring a second Rec Programmer would have no impact on the bottom line. The City Council and Staff remain committed to advancing the strategic plan, including the diversification of indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities.
Soon, we will put out a call for adult and youth volunteers to serve on a recreation advisory board. We will continue to seek the public input as we move forward with some exciting new projects, like the construction of a dog park and the design-build of a skate park. Stay tuned for updates and opportunities to get involved!
The Rawlins Family Recreation Center offers a variety of memberships, as well as day passes. The facility features three gymnasiums, and indoor shooting range, three racquetball courts, an indoor track, a fitness room with free weights and training stations, treadmills, ellipticals, a multipurpose room, stair climbers, and stationary bikes. For more information on signing up to participate in or teach a class or program, or for more details on memberships, call the Rec Center at 307-324-PLAY(7529).
For more information, please contact Mira Miller, City of Rawlins Community Relations Coordinator, at 307-328-4500 ext. 1022.
