Ray Rollins - Tucker Recreation Center Manager
How long have you lived in the Atlanta area? I lived in East Point until I was about 5-years old and I have resided in Hapeville ever since.
How did you end up here in Tucker? After graduating from Valdosta State in the spring of ’09, I moved back to Hapeville and began working the Summer Camps and front desk at the Hapeville Recreation Center. That lasted until 2014, when I became the Athletic Director in Hapeville. I have also been a part of the Athletic and Leadership Committees within the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) for the past two years, which helped prepare me for my new role here at the Tucker Parks and Recreation Department.
What do you do at the Rec Center? As your Recreation Manager I am responsible for making sure all of our programs, whether old or new, are beneficial to the community and also that they have a safe, comfortable space to provide that service at the Tucker Recreation Center. I am also responsible for room rentals and making sure all damages and repairs to the building are done in a timely fashion.
What are the biggest opportunities you see for improving the Rec Center? I believe that we have great options for both the senior community and for kids, but one of my goals is to create programs that cater to our teens/young adults. I believe we can create programs that can be both fun and educational for youth even if that’s making a game room area (foosball, ping pong etc.) for them to congregate in after school.
Why do you enjoy working in the Parks and Recreation field? Growing up I was heavily involved in everything my local rec center had to offer including sports, programs and special events. This was because I got to interact with all groups of people throughout the community. I learned a lot of social skills and life lessons while participating throughout the years, so when the opportunity came up for me to work in this field and to give back, it was a no-brainer.
OFF THE WALL
What are your hobbies? Outside of work, I enjoy watching sports with my buddies and coaching youth sports.
Who’s your favorite singer? Tough one!!! I don’t have a favorite singer, but The Temptations is my favorite singing group because each member brought a different style and flavor to the group and it usually resulted in classic song.
Tea: sweet or unsweet? I’m from the south, do we even offer unsweet tea?
If you could have one meal, what would it be? Any soul food combination
Is there a quote that inspires you? From my Dad: “If you do it right the first time, you won’t have to go back and do it again.” Made a lot of sense the older I got.
