Fairview Park Recreation Department
Nicknames: FPRD OR Gemini Center
Location: 21225 Lorain Road - Fairview Park, Ohio 44126
Main Phone: 440-356-4444
Hours of Operation:
Program Coordinator: Bob Benden
Program Coordinator: Danielle Danburg
Aquatics Director: Eric Dennis
Office Manager: Mary Long
Rental Coordinator: Mary Hart
Group Exercise Coordinator: Kim Kelly
Front Office Manager: Debbie Theus
Full-Time Maintenance: Darryl Spies (Day), Nancy Segrue (Evening), Paul Kramer (Evening)
Building:
Silver Sneakers (Elderly): Water aerobics, Zumba
Recreation Sports: Football, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, Rugby
About My Mentors
So throughout the course of this mentorship I have had several mentors because the person in the position kept leaving.
The mentor who hired me was Amanda Creque. Amanda had only been at the Gemini Center about two years. Actually, when she was brought on, the position of Facility Manager was created specifically for her by the new Director at that time. Unfortunately, Amanda left pretty early into my time at Fairview so I never really had a chance to talk with her. She lived about 40 minutes from Fairview Park and was almost always gone before I got to the Gemini around 4:45pm. She left to be a Facility Manager at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
When Amanda left, Jack Abbruezze took over about a week later. Jack was previously the Program Director but essentially just moved into this position so that his intern Bob Benden could become full-time. I am not sure how much different his day was between being the Program vs Facility Director but if it was a change, he did not show it. Unlike Amanda, Jack had been with the Gemini Center almost since the beginning. He was much more involved in the evenings: he stayed until about 5:30pm a few times a week, he would stop by recreation practices to make sure that things were running smoothly and he was all-around easier to talk to. Unfortunately, Jack’s time as my mentor was short-lived as well. I think he was only my mentor for about 2 months before he left to go to the new recreation center in a neighboring city (Brookpark), where he would be the Facility and Program Director there.
During this new period Bob Benden was my new mentor. As I mentioned earlier, Bob had acted as an intern for Jack. He is pretty much the epitome of the Gemini Center. He was in high school when the Gemini opened in 2008 and he has been involved in so many different ways: he works out there, he attends events there and he knows almost every member in one way or another. Bob, like Jack, was very much involved. He has an open-door always, will listen to any complaint and look into it for you. He works out after work every day so you will see him until about 6:30pm. He is also the best communicator as he will always let me know if something has changed in the schedule that I need to be aware of. Out of them all, I was able to know Bob the best and, in my opinion, he was the best of all my mentors.
Now after Jack left, it took the Director a long time to move on as well. It was easier when Amanda left because they already had an intern in mind that would move to a full-time staffer (Bob); however, this time there was no one in line so the application/interview process started. For about two months, Bob, who had recently become part of the full-time staff, had to play the role of Program and Facility Director. It was a lot. He was always running around and very frustrated. He was definitely relieved when they hired Danielle Danburg. Danielle has not been with the Gemini very long but I honestly do not know her at all or really the role she is playing as someone who has a marketing background as opposed to a sports management/facilities background. To be quite honest, I only met her once and it was in passing at a city event held at the Gemini; she is always gone before I get there.
Nicknames: FPRD OR Gemini Center
Location: 21225 Lorain Road - Fairview Park, Ohio 44126
Main Phone: 440-356-4444
Hours of Operation:
- Monday-Friday 5:30am-10:00pm (Pool closes at 9:30pm)
- June-August: facility closes at 9:00pm and pool at 8:30pm
- Saturday 8:00am-7:00pm (Pool closes at 6:30pm)
- Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm (Pool closes at 5:30pm)
Program Coordinator: Bob Benden
Program Coordinator: Danielle Danburg
Aquatics Director: Eric Dennis
Office Manager: Mary Long
Rental Coordinator: Mary Hart
Group Exercise Coordinator: Kim Kelly
Front Office Manager: Debbie Theus
Full-Time Maintenance: Darryl Spies (Day), Nancy Segrue (Evening), Paul Kramer (Evening)
Building:
- Fitness Floor
- Main Gyms
- Multi-Purpose Gym
- Competition Pool
- Leisure Pool
- Kids Club
- Three Banquet Rooms
Silver Sneakers (Elderly): Water aerobics, Zumba
Recreation Sports: Football, Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, Rugby
About My Mentors
So throughout the course of this mentorship I have had several mentors because the person in the position kept leaving.
The mentor who hired me was Amanda Creque. Amanda had only been at the Gemini Center about two years. Actually, when she was brought on, the position of Facility Manager was created specifically for her by the new Director at that time. Unfortunately, Amanda left pretty early into my time at Fairview so I never really had a chance to talk with her. She lived about 40 minutes from Fairview Park and was almost always gone before I got to the Gemini around 4:45pm. She left to be a Facility Manager at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
When Amanda left, Jack Abbruezze took over about a week later. Jack was previously the Program Director but essentially just moved into this position so that his intern Bob Benden could become full-time. I am not sure how much different his day was between being the Program vs Facility Director but if it was a change, he did not show it. Unlike Amanda, Jack had been with the Gemini Center almost since the beginning. He was much more involved in the evenings: he stayed until about 5:30pm a few times a week, he would stop by recreation practices to make sure that things were running smoothly and he was all-around easier to talk to. Unfortunately, Jack’s time as my mentor was short-lived as well. I think he was only my mentor for about 2 months before he left to go to the new recreation center in a neighboring city (Brookpark), where he would be the Facility and Program Director there.
During this new period Bob Benden was my new mentor. As I mentioned earlier, Bob had acted as an intern for Jack. He is pretty much the epitome of the Gemini Center. He was in high school when the Gemini opened in 2008 and he has been involved in so many different ways: he works out there, he attends events there and he knows almost every member in one way or another. Bob, like Jack, was very much involved. He has an open-door always, will listen to any complaint and look into it for you. He works out after work every day so you will see him until about 6:30pm. He is also the best communicator as he will always let me know if something has changed in the schedule that I need to be aware of. Out of them all, I was able to know Bob the best and, in my opinion, he was the best of all my mentors.
Now after Jack left, it took the Director a long time to move on as well. It was easier when Amanda left because they already had an intern in mind that would move to a full-time staffer (Bob); however, this time there was no one in line so the application/interview process started. For about two months, Bob, who had recently become part of the full-time staff, had to play the role of Program and Facility Director. It was a lot. He was always running around and very frustrated. He was definitely relieved when they hired Danielle Danburg. Danielle has not been with the Gemini very long but I honestly do not know her at all or really the role she is playing as someone who has a marketing background as opposed to a sports management/facilities background. To be quite honest, I only met her once and it was in passing at a city event held at the Gemini; she is always gone before I get there.