- Diann Henderson (Henderson will retire as Great Bend Recreation Commission Executive Director on Oct. 31, 2022 after 40 years in the parks and recreation industry.)
By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Growing up in Great Bend, Diann Henderson remembers participating in
after-school activities while attending Morrison Elementary School. In the
1960s, there were sports where the Great Bend schools competed against each
other.
“I remember when the Great Bend Recreation Commission and the school district
sponsored a two-week track meet,” said Henderson. “It was awesome. We filled
the football stadium.”
Growing up around recreation as a child would lead to an entire career.
Henderson will retire Oct. 31 as the executive director at the Great
Bend Recreation Commission. The former track athlete at Barton Community
College spent 40 years in the parks and recreation industry.
Title IX, the civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any
school that receives federal funding, was coming to the forefront near the end
of Henderson’s stay in high school. Henderson was on the first girls track team
at Great Bend High School her junior year.
“I met my husband, Ken, my senior year when he was a student trainer at the
high school,” said Henderson. “We would district the guys so the girls could go
in and get the equipment we needed to run track like the batons and starting
blocks.”
The first year of the girls’ track team, Henderson noted they did not have
uniforms and just wore basic sweats. By her senior year, the girls had similar
equipment and uniforms as the boys.
Finishing her track career at Barton, Henderson’s studied education with
hopes of becoming a physical education and art instructor.
“I continued my education degree at the University of Kansas,” said Henderson. “Ken
and I got married. He went on to graduate school at Drake University so I
finished up classes there.”
Ken received a job as an athletic trainer at Barton Community College, so he
and Diann moved back to the Great Bend area. Diann finished her last semester
at Friends University.
Still with an intent to become a teacher, Henderson stated starting a family
with children took priority.
“Like any young family, you have to find a job,” said Henderson. “The Rec was
needing a receptionist. I was hired to get our first computer in the office and
to get our accounting system on the computer.”
When Henderson was first hired by the Recreation Commission, there were not
many after-school programs. That trend would change in late 1980s. Henderson
worked with Steve Wolf, Dan Brungardt and the school district to develop
programs in every grade school.
Over the years, Henderson would get involved with nearly every position at the
Rec and was named Executive Director in 2006. For a woman with intent to
become a teacher, Henderson soon found out the parks and recreation industry
was for her.
“I remember going home one time and telling my husband ‘I have everything I love,’”
said Henderson. Recreation is about life-long learning. We’re teaching people
what to do in their leisure time. That’s education. It’s the education of being
active and connecting with our neighbors and community. I’ve used all the tools
I learned and loved.”
Henderson played a major role in the development of the Activity Center on 18th
Street, MyBackyard Playground, fitness trail and toddler playground at Veterans
Memorial Park.
“I also really appreciate the programs,” added Henderson. “Just the opportunity
to bring a program to an individual or child. You get to see them hit the ball
for the first time. You see them draw a character and find out they have a
talent for drawing. You see a homebound senior become active and make a friend.
That’s what we’re about. We’re about people.”
Henderson’s final day with the Recreation Commission is Oct. 31. Chris Umphres will become the next director beginning Nov. 1.
“The sky is the limit for recreation in Great Bend,” said Henderson. “The
quality of life sales tax that was passed last year is going to hopefully assist
development. The partnerships we’ve developed, the collaborations we’ve had,
all of this is bringing our community together. We’re bridging the city, the
school and businesses for one common mission…that’s to improve our recreation
system in Great Bend.”
Her husband, Ken, plans to retire from Barton Community College later this
year, but from there the ‘planning’ stops for a bit.
“We’re not making any plans for six months,” said Henderson. “We’re going to
spend time enjoying each other. We both have things on our bucket list that we
want to accomplish, but we also have two new grandchildren coming. We’re going
to enjoy recreation because we’re going to have lots of time to be involved in
recreation.”
Listen below to the entire interview with Henderson and Eagle Radio's Cole Reif.
