DIFFERENCE MAKER
Page uses local roots to help the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department flourish
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DES MOINES -- The growth of the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department under director Ben Page's leadership has generated the kind of momentum and recognition any individual would covet.
Yet Page is the first to shift the attention -- and credit -- away from himself and toward his now-heralded staff.
"I can't say enough about the people I work with on a daily basis," said Page, a 1994 Fort Dodge Senior High graduate. "This is a collective effort. When I'm talking about the work we do in the community, you'll never hear me say 'me' or 'I.' Our team has a passion for serving and helping.
"Now in order to apply that, we have to build trust and establish relationships with the citizens of Des Moines. That doesn't happen overnight. We've gone through a lot of ups and downs since I came here 15 years ago, from the recession to the pandemic and everything in between. We've had to find ways to reinvent ourselves and do more with less. But if you sincerely make it about the people -- the people who work for you and (the local residents) you work for -- I truly believe success will follow."
The 45-year-old Page has now been in his current position for a full decade. His role is an important one; Page oversees a 130-year parks and recreation division that, according to its website, is "responsible for the management of over 4,000 acres of land and 76 parks across Des Moines." The operating budget is $14 million, and there are over 350 employees in the DMPR system -- including 79 full-time workers.
The collective efforts of Page's team has been well-documented -- and lauded accordingly. Despite being the 103rd largest city in the United States, Des Moines has earned a Top-35 placement in each of the last two years by the Trust for Public Land ParkScore Index. The city has also been a top-four finalist in the National Recreation and Park Association's Gold Medal Award competition in back-to-back years -- an honor no Iowa community has ever attained in over six decades of NRPA recognition.
"Despite constantly punching above our weight -- so to speak -- with bigger cities, we've fought hard to establish ourselves and make a name for ourselves," said Page, who also graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1999. "The NRPA is important to us, because it ranks both our department as a whole and how we serve our communities. Again, that's what we take a great deal of pride in first and foremost."
In February, the Taxpayers Association of Central Iowa (TACI) presented its 2021 'In the Public Interest' award to Page and the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department. During the nomination process, Page stated, "Our entire team believes in transparency and public participation in everything that we do. We shifted our focus over the last decade to truly do more with less and prove the value of taxpayer's investment in our mission."
Page noted part of the education process -- which helped the DMPR become the first tax-supported entity to garner the honor -- was assessing funding and distribution of tax dollars for the sake of clarity.
"We analyzed the average home value in Des Moines, which is around $140,000, and showed the citizens how much of their property taxes directly supports the parks and recreation department and its services annually: $127," Page said. "And then we showed how far that $127 goes to improving the quality of life in our community, because taxpayers want information like that.
"It's not just about educating the general public, but presenting the numbers in a way that helps them see why those dollars are important in making Des Moines a better place to live."
Page's days as a parks and recreation employee date back to being part-time help as a high schooler in Fort Dodge. Like so many from his era both before and after him, those formative years paved the way for what became a lifelong career in the field.
"There is kind of a running joke at state conventions, given how many of us have some kind of direct connection back to Fort Dodge," Page laughed. "It's a blue-collar community that has always valued both its resources and citizens, and the role the (parks and recreation department) plays in improving the quality of life.
"There was just such a great cross-section of experiences there, from Oleson Park to the state softball tournament and everything in between. You know that you're going to work a long, hard, honest day. Growing up in Fort Dodge definitely helped give me the right approach to the job -- a work ethic and perspective I carry with me to this day."
Page specifically noted the influence of Tony Salvatore -- the long-time city parks superintendent and a jack of all trades on a staff filled with loyal, committed Fort Dodgers.
"I always tell the story that I was such a terrible painter (Page's father, Steve, ran a family painting business in Fort Dodge for decades) that my dad kicked me out and told me to find a different line of work," Page laughed. "He called Tony and asked if he could bring me on board. 'Please get my son a job.'"
Salvatore's core values helped steer Page in the right direction.
"We've always said Tony is like the Hayden Fry of parks and recreation (the former Hawkeye football coach who had a number of assistants leave Iowa and succeed on their own)," Page said. "The number of people who worked in Fort Dodge (as teenagers) and went on to serve in this profession is incredible. I still communicate with (current FD Parks and Rec. director) Lori Branderhorst to this day, which is special, given how far back we go.
"I'm incredible fortunate to have the background I do. It's always been a great department for a great city. Our sense of pride for the time we spent in Fort Dodge never goes away."