John Byrnes will join the City of Bettendorf as its new Parks & Recreation director on Monday, Jan. 6 following Bettendorf City Council approval on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
“We received 55 applications for this position and during his interview, it was clear that John was a great fit for our City,” City Administrator Decker Ploehn said in a news release announcing the hire. Mr. Byrnes is from Omaha, Nebraska and graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor’s in Leisure, Youth, and Human Services. He has been with the Sioux City Parks & Recreation Department for seven years – first as an intern, then recreation coordinator, recreation supervisor, and was promoted to recreation superintendent in 2022.
The Sioux City Parks & Recreation Department recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of its newest park – Cone Park, where Mr. Byrnes managed both the facility and its programs. It is a unique year-round amenity that offers a tubing hill and ice skating rink in the winter and a splash pad and 10.5 miles of mountain bike trails in the off-season.
“What he’s done at Cone Park and across the City of Sioux City is very impressive and we are excited to have his unique perspective in not just our Parks & Recreation Department, but in our community as a whole,” Mr. Ploehn said.
“I cannot wait to get started in Bettendorf this winter!” Mr. Byrnes added “I am a lifetime Parks & Recreation Professional – from being raised visiting our local neighborhood parks and rec centers to creating unique park facilities as a professional – every day I am excited to come to work and enhance quality of life.”
Vibrant, fun, active parks
In addition, he said, “An efficient Parks & Recreation Department is essential to creating vibrant, fun, active cities and I cannot wait to begin working towards that goal in Bettendorf.”
The position of Parks & Recreation director was reorganized when the city created the position of Culture & Recreation director in 2021 to handle two city departments – the Family Museum and Parks & Recreation Department. Kim Kidwell has held that position ever since and will return to her previous position as Family Museum Director once Mr. Byrnes joins the city.
“It’s been an honor serving as the city’s Culture & Recreation director for the past four years,” Ms. Kidwell said. “As the city continues to grow, we are ready to welcome a Parks & Recreation director back to the team. I am looking forward to working alongside John and welcoming him to our amazing Parks & Recreation team and the City of Bettendorf!”
Mr. Ploehn lauded Ms. Kidwell for her contributions in the former combined post.
“I want to thank Kim for taking on the monumental task of this role and strategically guiding us for the future of the Parks & Recreation Department,” Mr. Ploehn said. “I want to specifically thank her for spearheading the effort to create The Landing in cooperation with our friends at the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley.
“With the ice rink opening on Sunday, Dec. 15, and the aquatic center opening in 2025, it fulfills the vision that we had for this corner of the city and our new Parks & Recreation director will be able to use that as a catalyst to move the Department forward in a very exciting way,” he added.
