'Ms. JanBoree' steps down

As a recreation department supervisor, Sue Harter encountered hundreds of people through programs such as aquatics, adult enrichment, fine arts, lifetime sports and family special events.

But one event was extra special to her. It's her pride and joy and the one people associate her with - the Waukesha JanBoree.

The 27th annual winter festival wrapped up on Sunday and, while many people have had a hand in its success over the years, you can't mention the JanBoree without mentioning Harter.

It started when Nancy Hodge, a Waukesha alderwoman during the 1980s, presented the idea of having a winter festival in Waukesha. Harter loved the concept and never looked back.

"It was a way for people to get out during the winter. We started with nine events," said Harter, adding that more than 30 were on this year's schedule.

"The whole idea was to have something fun for everyone. It's a major undertaking but it involves so many people."

One of her main goals was finding new events for all age groups, especially teens.

But like a parent saying goodbye to a child going off to college, Harter — who retired from her position with the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department earlier this month — had a difficult time letting go.

"It was hard for me to leave. I can't believe how passionate I am about kids having fun and families just being together. I'm just so passionate about the JanBoree," said Harter.

And Harter couldn't stay away. She attended the popular pancake breakfast Saturday morning at the Schuetze Recreation Center and made time to just enjoy the event she helped plan for more than a quarter of a century.

She was the veteran in the department, along with Stan Flak, who also just retired. Both started in 1975.

Now, both have retired in a week’s span with Flak, also a recreation supervisor, beating her to the punch.

Flak stepped down from his position Dec. 29.

“I’ve probably been planning it for a couple years,” Harter said. "It was going to take a lot for me to break away. I love working for the City of Waukesha. Everything I did had an element of fun to it."

Growing up in Waukesha

Everything she has done in her life has also involved Waukesha.

Harter attended St. Joseph's grade school in Waukesha and participated in many rec department programs growing up. She attended Catholic Memorial High School for two years before finishing at Waukesha South. She moved to Milwaukee while attending UW-Milwaukee to earn a degree in elementary education.

Waukesha, however, always had a pull on her, because even when she was in college she would drive back to Waukesha to work for the Rec. Department during the school year and summer.

"I knew after that first year (of teaching) I really wanted to go into recreation," Harter recalled. "When I got the position I just felt really privileged to be a part of it, because it seems from the beginning, I was always associated with the Park and Rec. program."

After college, she taught at Whittier School. But after one year she returned to the place that gave her so much joy growing up.

Harter also led a theater program for 15 years in the city and was a founding member of the Arts Alliance of Waukesha. She recently served as the vice president of the organization.

"Advancing the arts has always been something dear to me," Harter said.

Harter said she will most miss the people in the department.

“It’s the people that I worked with,” Harter said. “I’ve met my best friends here."

Many of these people were on hand to give her a special retirement sendoff a couple weeks ago.

"It was really heartwarming and it was a nice farewell," Harter said of her retirement sendoff. "It was kind of a bittersweet day because I was just remembering everything I was retiring from, so it was sad because I loved working here."

Flak could see that every day while working side-by-side with Harter for 36 years.

"She grew up in the community and you could see how much she loved the community," Flak said. "You could see that in everything she did, especially the JanBoree. That was her baby."

However, the fact that the department is in good hands (it won the National Gold Medal Award last year) has made it a little easier for her to say goodbye.

"(Stan and I) had to go out now," Harter joked. "Everything is in a good place, so we thought we'd just go out in a blaze of glory."

Harter, who has no children herself, has since retreated to her new home in Ixonia and doesn't have any immediate plans other than traveling with her partner, John Heim, who is also a recent retiree from the Waukesha School District.

"I just had a wonderful opportunity handed to me and just feel grateful to have had this great experience… it just seemed like the right time to pass the torch onto the new leaders," said Harter.

"But my heart will always be with Waukesha."