Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
Megan and Bart Pettus with Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer. Bart Pettus was hired as Chelsea’s first parks and recreation director.
Bart Pettus grew up at the ball fields in Demopolis, Alabama. His father, Mark, was the parks and recreation director for the city for 18 years, and Pettus spent many days and nights helping his dad and playing rec league ball.
“Some of my first memories are being on a ball field there,” Pettus said. “That’s where I learned a lot of life lessons, like leadership and accountability.”
That early start led him to play on the Demopolis High School baseball team, then to a scholarship as a shortstop for Troy University. After graduating with a sports management degree in 2010, Pettus went to the Troy Parks and Recreation Department and asked for a meeting with the director.
“I walked into Mr. Dan’s office and asked for an opportunity,” he said. “He is a really great man, and I couldn’t have asked for a better boss.”
Dan Smith said he was impressed during his first meeting with Pettus and hired him later that week for a part-time position. After a year, he became full-time. Pettus’ last role was adult activities coordinator and Pike County Lake manager. Smith said when Pettus let him know in February he had gotten the job in Chelsea, Smith wasn’t surprised.
“I’ve been expecting [him to leave] for many years,” Smith said. “I told him several years ago that he would be a parks and rec director one day. I sensed that in his mannerism and leadership and the quality of a person he is. I was so proud of him, and while I’m very sad [to lose him in] our department, I am so happy for him and his family. He is a young man of exceptional work ethic and character with a sense of responsibility. He has a servant’s heart, and in parks and rec you have to have that because you work for the people and Bart gets that.”
Smith, along with David Dickey and Cheryl Pennington of the Troy Parks & Recreation Department, made a surprise appearance at the Coffee with the Mayor event in Chelsea on March 19 when Pettus was introduced.
“That was a testament to who they are,” Pettus said. “They are very special people and they taught me a lot. I’m going to miss seeing them every day.”
Pettus, 33, is no stranger to the city as his wife Megan is a Chelsea High School graduate. They met while attending Troy University and when they began dating in2009, they would visit her family for the holidays.
When Megan Pettus saw the job posting for a parks and recreation director in her hometown, she encouraged her husband to apply. Bart Pettus said while he wasn’t necessarily looking for another job, this position would be a good fit.
“I sent in a resume, but didn’t know if I would get a call,” he said. “I knew Megan wanted Chelsea to be home. We have a 3-year-old daughter, and we wanted to be closer to her parents and family.”
Mayor Tony Picklesimer said the city had around 25 applicants for the job. He told the committee, made up of several city council members, he wanted them to choose the candidate, but he wanted to give his approval, since the director would report to him. Picklesimer did the first wave of interviews and narrowed the field to eight, then met with the committee again to narrow it down to the top four before they ultimately chose Pettus.
“He’s young and brings new and fresh ideas,” Picklesimer said. “We are so excited to have him here. I want Bart to have all the tools he needs to be successful to help him with the transition from the CYC parent-led to city-led.”
As the first parks and recreation director for the city, Pettus said it is exciting, but the job also comes with a lot of pressure.
“I am very thankful they chose me, and I want to do a great job,” he said. “I feel like I’ve worked with a lot of great people who have molded me to be able to do that, and I know I’ll be surrounded by great people in Chelsea to help me.”
Some of that help will come from David Ingram, who had done many parts of this job voluntarily for 10 years. Pettus said he can’t thank Ingram enough for dedicating his time to teach him what he’s been doing.
Megan Pettus works as a wedding videographer and already had weddings booked in Birmingham before she knew they would be moving to Chelsea.
“My job is really transient, and it’s crazy how everything worked out,” she said. “It’s like we’re meant to be here.”
With the city’s plans for updating facilities at the Shelby County 11 sports park and additions to the community center, Pettus is looking forward to making an impact in his new role.
“It’s good to see that, especially with a city growing as fast as Chelsea, that the facilities are growing with it as well,” he said. “That’s a sign of a good city.”
