Members of the Plymouth Park Board were introduced to the new Recreation Director, Abby (Barker) Collins during their meeting Monday evening.
Abby was born and raised in Plymouth, graduated from Plymouth High School in 2004 and attended Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer. Her parents are Patty and Cal Barker. Her mom just retired as secretary of Jefferson Elementary School and her dad is a retired Plymouth firefighter and works as maintenance director for LifePlex. Abby married Joe Collins 10 year ago, Joe is the Regional Marketing Director for the Autumn Trace Communities. They have two children, 6 year old Everly and 2 year old Roman.
Abby Collins has worked for the City of Plymouth for 6 years; previously as a payroll and human resources clerk for 2 years and most recently as Deputy Clerk-Treasurer for the last 4 years.
When asked what she was looking forward to Abby said, “I am beyond excited to be part of the Plymouth Park Department! This department has a long-standing history of beautiful parks and community-bonding events. I am hoping to bring some fresh recreation ideas to the program, but also continue traditions that have been extremely popular over the years. I’m most looking forward to bringing joy to the community, especially during the trying times we have all been through this year.
The first project I am looking to launch is to expand on virtual events so folks can enjoy activities from home. We will not be hosting the Haunted Grounds this year for Halloween, but are looking towards future events such as Photos With Santa and one of our most popular events, the Daddy Daughter Dance. I will work closely with the Marshall County Health Department to potentially find safe, socially-distanced practices so we can try to host these events. Otherwise, we will be looking for alternative solutions to help the community stay active and healthy!”
