The Parks & Recreation Board is a supporting group for the Hayden Parks & Recreation department. This team helps plan & execute the many events this community has come to love.
If you have any questions about this board, please reach out to Rhonda Sweetser, Recreation Director at:
rhonda.sweetser@haydencolorado.org
O: 970-276-0504
Rhonda is a native of Colorado and the Yampa Valley, having been raised in Hayden with her three sisters. She left to attend Western State College to earn a BA in education, and later achieved an MA in education. She also obtained a MA in administration from Grand Canyon University. After college, Rhonda came back to a career in the Hayden School District for 30 years, working with teachers and educators in the Yampa Valley community. Rhonda has always enjoyed working with kids, and the Hayden Center and Town Recreation Department is a great fit for the next stage of her career. Outside of encouraging everyone to visit the Hayden Center, and welcoming new members to the Hayden Park and Recreation Board, Rhonda truly enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also enjoys sports, being outdoors, teaching, and spoiling her grandchildren.
Originally from Minnesota, Dan grew up coming to Colorado on family vacations to enjoy the great outdoors skiing, hiking and spending time in the mountains. Deciding where to attend college, he chose the University of Denver so he could continue his experiences in the mountains, while working summers for the Park and Rec department in his hometown of Golden Valley. He is passionate about enabling everyone to spend time in the outdoors and experience everything Colorado has to offer. As Chair of the Board of Directors for Hayden’s Park and Rec Department, he has the ability to pursue his passion by helping with outdoor events in our community.
Mike moved to the Yampa Valley in 2018, working as a park ranger at Yampa River and Elkhead Reservoir State Parks. Mike began his career as a park ranger in 2010, in his home state of Illinois, where he found his passion for sharing outdoor recreation with the public. Mike has been a Hayden Parks and Recreation board member since 2022 and enjoys being able to show members of the community all that Hayden has to offer.
Erica Royer Benson grew up mostly in Wyoming, and has been enjoying Colorado as long as she can remember. She officially moved to the Yampa Valley in 2011 and to Hayden in 2019. She has been on the Parks and Rec Board since the beginning of 2021. Erica has many years as an elementary teacher, coach, nanny, volunteer and tutor with experience across a wide variety of sports and subjects. She loves to use her background to build up and preserve the current offerings, but also bring some new fun to the community. Erica loves raising her family in Hayden, and truly appreciates the opportunity to help the Board.
Kevin is proud to be a member of the Hayden Parks and Recreation Board. Kevin and his wife moved to Hayden about two years ago (2021). They have two boys, their eldest is in the Army and their youngest is a Junior at CU Boulder. Kevin knows the importance of being physically active and understands how important top notch recreational opportunities are for people of all ages. As a member of your HPR Board, Kevin will work for and strive to better Hayden’s recreational opportunities for all.
Megan has been working in the youth program field for the past 19 years. As a resident of Routt County since 2012 , she is currently the Youth and Teen Supervisor for the City of Steamboat Springs. She enjoys rafting, camping, skiing, and mountain biking with her family.
Katie Berning moved to the Yampa Valley from North Dakota in 2015 after visiting close friends in Steamboat Springs. She moved to Hayden in 2018. She is passionate about outdoor recreation, rivers and conservation. When not in a PFD, Katie can be found skiing, ski touring, mountain biking, backpacking, hiking and hanging in a hammock. She has a cat and more houseplants than most to make her home in Hayden the perfect place to settle down and grow her own roots in the Yampa Valley.
Bio:
Julie Hulslander joined the Parks and Recreation board in the summer of 2022. She resides in Hayden with her husband, Matt, daughter, Hadley, and their two dogs. They moved to the community in the fall of 2021 and have resided in Routt County since 2019. Julie is employed with Routt County Human Services in a leadership role. As a professional, she invests in the growth of others by supervising and coaching her colleagues into becoming their whole and best selves; the hope is they can do the same for those they serve. Julie sees volunteering on the board as an opportunity to invest in her community while growing her and her family’s sense of home. She aspires to build connections and encourage play regardless of age and abilities. Our Hayden community has so much to offer and so many exciting possibilities.
Bio:
Click the link below for the Hayden Parks & Rec Board application. Applications can be submited in-person or via email to Rhonda Sweetser, Recreation Director: Rhonda.Sweetser@haydencolorado.org
The Hayden Parks & Rec Board meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:00pm at Town Hall.
You can also stay connected by viewing the Agendas & Minutes below.
