MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Maplewood is preparing to bid a fond farewell to Recreation and Cultural Affairs Director Keith Knudsen, whose final day in the township will be Feb. 24. After that, Knudsen will be moving on to head the Roxbury Parks and Recreation Department.
According to Joseph Manning, Maplewood’s business administrator, he and Knudsen were scheduled to meet with a potential interim director Feb. 16. Manning hopes to have an interim director appointed by the end of the week.
“If I were able to replace myself I would look for someone who is energetic, creative, hard-working, educated, friendly, professional and who has an extensive background in the recreation field,” Knudsen told the News-Record in a Feb. 11 email.
“Most importantly I am looking for someone who can manage staff,” Manning told the News-Record in a Feb. 12 email. “I want someone who is creative, energetic about their position and who wants to serve the public.”
This description has certainly fit Knudsen, who has steered the helm of recreation in Maplewood for the past four years, having begun in this position in January 2012.
From his four years of serving the residents, Knudsen is most proud of revamping the skate park in Maplecrest Park and creating an outdoor fitness center at DeHart.
“I started (the skate park) project two years ago, back when I put a sign on the old skate park equipment asking if anyone was interested in serving on a skate park committee to improve the conditions of the park (and welcoming them) to a meeting at Maplecrest Skate House,” Knudsen said. “That day I had up to 30 teens come out to the meeting and we had a wonderful discussion. We ended up meeting multiple times over two years until we finally had the winning design.”
Thanks to input from the teen skaters, the new park is all cement and the placement of ramps and such improved the park’s flow. Final construction was completed in July 2015.
“The results were astounding,” Knudsen said. “The skate park became extremely popular, with teens and young adults visiting the park regularly. The department was able to sponsor our first ever Skate Jam that brought in around 100 participants. The YMCA also supported our efforts by starting a skateboarding instructional program for beginners and intermediate riders.
“After the park was completed I nominated the township of Maplewood for the 2015-2016 New Jersey Recreation & Park Association Excellence in Design Award, and was notified that the Maplewood has won the award!”
As for the outdoor fitness center, Knudsen and his department grew the idea after seeing residents using regular playground equipment for fitness purposes.
“I have been to many parks that have had outdoor fitness areas and they were always impressive and well used,” Knudsen said. “I began thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if DeHart had this type of equipment that everyone could use to live a healthier lifestyle?’ I decided to apply for a grant through a program called ShapingNJ with the remainder of the funds coming from the Open Space Trust Fund. I received approval from both, and I was able to complete the park soon after. I have visited the park many times since its construction and much to my delight I have found regular visitors who have enjoyed this addition.”
Among Knudsen’s many innovations and improvements, Manning believes Knudsen’s greatest contributions to the township are the completion of the pool deck renovation project, upgrading the recreation system to allow residents to register for programs online, redesigning the summer camp program for children and increasing the program options for children with special needs.
“Keith worked hard and long hours,” Manning said. “He was dedicated to his work in Maplewood.”
And a large part of that dedication stemmed from Knudsen’s love for Maplewoodians.
“I will miss all of the people here,” Knudsen said. “I have made so many friends and have so many wonderful colleagues here that I will truly miss being in Maplewood. This township is welcoming and friendly to everyone. When you are in Maplewood you feel as though you are a part of a family.”
Nevertheless, Knudsen feels that moving to Roxbury is the right move for him at this time.
“I was interested in Roxbury because I used to live in Roxbury so I am familiar with the area, but mostly because the commute would be 15 minutes from my home in Jefferson,” Knudsen said. “My trip to Maplewood takes on average one hour.
“The reason this was so important to me is that when I have evening meetings I don’t have time to go home and see my children and come back to Maplewood, so I usually stay in my office from the end of the day until my meeting begins,” he continued. “This new township will give me the opportunity to see my children more often.”
But Maplewood will always be a special place for Knudsen, full of good memories and even better friends and colleagues.
“I want to say goodbye to everyone I have met and come to know over these last four years,” Knudsen said. “Thank you for the wonderful memories and I will miss you. I especially want to thank the administrator, the mayor and Township Committee who gave me this opportunity to begin with. It was a pleasure and an honor to be the recreation director for Maplewood. Last but not least, I want to thank the amazing staff that I had; please know that I appreciated everything that you did and all of the time that you committed to the Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department.”
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