Carson City Recreation Division has new manager

Meagan Sarocco has replaced Joel Dunn as the manager of Carson City’s Recreation Division in city government’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Sarocco, a 16-year veteran of the department, will earn an annual salary of $62,061.79, an increase over her previous pay of $56,419.79 as recreation program manager. Dunn moved on to the position of executive director at the Carson City Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Roger Moellendorf, Parks and Recreation Department director, provided the salary information and said the change gives his department an opportunity to refocus the position. He said that’s because Dunn, who had concentrated in part in luring sports tournaments to the city, took the sports tourney task with him to the bureau.

“That’s a great opportunity for us,” Moellendorf said. “It’s not like we lost Joel to the community,” and Sarocco now will “try to increase the diversity in the programs that we offer.”

He said he was speaking of youth programs, many keyed to sports, but that bringing diversity into play would broaden offerings.

“Of course we’re going to continue the sports programs,” he said, but the footprint of programs will grow to cover various interests.

He said Sarocco’s duties will be similar to Dunn’s, though the focus might change a bit. Sarocco, meanwhile, sounded enthusiastic about her new role.

“I’m just continuing to grow, along with the program,” she said. She said Dunn taking his sports tournament focus to the bureau would provide an opportunity for continuing their work together.

“We’ll partner with him,” Sarocco said.

Sarocco has an associate’s degree from Western Nevada College and a baccalaureate degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, in social work, Moellendorf said.