Tuscumbia names Holt Parks and Rec director

The City of Tuscumbia has seen some turnaround in the Parks and Recreation Department over the past few years.

Longtime director Joel Kendrick took over the Public Works Department when former director Bo Stanley retired, and his predecessor Brooks Canup moved to Muscle Shoals Parks and Rec earlier this year.

When it comes to the new Tuscumbia Parks and Rec Director, however, there is a lot of familiarity.

The Tuscumbia City Council voted 5-0 to appoint assistant Parks and Recreation Director Tammy Holt to the director position during its August 4 meeting. Council member Katie Logan was unable to attend.

A number of audience members applauded when Holt was officially appointed.

She has worked for Tuscumbia Parks and Rec since 2014 and has been the assistant director for a few years.

“We had our interviews for the position, and Miss Tammy did very well,” Mayor William Foster said.

Holt is originally from Memphis, Tennessee. She said she began playing rec league sports at 4 years old.

“I have played all my life,” she said. “I played high school and college softball. I always loved parks and rec.”

Holt attended the University of North Alabama, where she did her internship with Florence Parks and Recreation and eventually worked there part time for three years.

“Money was tight, so I decided I couldn’t do it full time,” she said. “I worked in public housing in Sheffield until I retired. Then there was a police department opening for a dispatcher in Tuscumbia. Eventually, I applied for the Tuscumbia Parks and Rec athletic director job in 2014. I’ve worked my way up from there since.”

When Canup left the department, Holt said some of her employees came to her and asked her to apply for the director position.

“I thought, it’s time,” she said. “I’m excited. I feel like I have been doing the job for a while. Joel and I have worked together for years. We work well together. There won’t be a whole lot of new with this.”

Holt said she has an entire to-do list of projects and goals, including hiring more employees and getting them a raise in pay.

“I want to get the sportsplex we have updated and get a multipurpose field for flag football and if soccer ever comes. There’s a lot of things,” she said.