Rec. Department loses experienced supervisor

It has been more than 35 years since Stan Flak received his very first assignment at the City of Waukesha's Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.

Yet, Flak, 62, recalled that assignment like it was yesterday.

"I remember coming in and the first thing they told me to do was to write a news release on belly dancing," Flak said. "I go, 'belly dancing?' I won't forget that. It was actually a very successful program."

The same could be said about Flak's career, which came to an end late last month when he called it quits after serving as a recreation supervisor since 1975.

Not easy saying goodbye

"I didn't think I'd be here as long as I was, but as time went on I started thinking that you might as well just finish out your career," Flak said. "You don't think about it. The years suddenly just go by."

That's not saying it was easy for him to retire.

"It was hard to say goodbye to a lot of people," he said. "Right now retirement is good, but I feel I'm on a long vacation right now."

When talking with him, it ap pears this is true.

You can tell the passion is still there. You can tell he still misses it. He even still says "we" when describing the department. He probably always will. He's even had to retrain his brain.

"There was a softball manager's meeting that I always ran (in January) and I have to think to myself that I don't have to worry about that anymore," Flak said from his home in Waukesha last week.

Waukesha had indeed become 'home' for him even if he didn't have the connection to the city growing up like his longtime co-worker Sue Harter did. Flak grew up outside the county in Greenfield and started his studies at UW-Stevens Point. He transferred to UW-La Crosse where he majored in parks and recreation administration.

"I always liked sports and athletics but didn't want to be a (physical education) teacher," said Flak, who actually started with the department as an intern in 1974. "I liked the business aspect about setting up a program. And even when I was growing up, I always thought that some day I'd work in Waukesha."

Softball was his passion

Like the JanBoree was Harter's passion during a majority of her 36-year career, Flak had one as well - the award-winning softball tournament held in August.

"It was really popular and hopefully they keep it going," Flak said. "I had nice memories over the years. One was when in the 'D' Division - which is the lowest division - a team finally won the championship and one of the players had a smile on his face because it took a lot of years. He was running around saying, 'We finally won one!' That's what it's all about. That was cool."

Like Harter, he's already missing those around him even if some of them didn't always agree with him.

"The people you meet here are unbelievable," said Flak, who led many projects for the city - most recently the adult and youth sports programs and Spooka Minooka.

"I was always trying to have the best program and a lot of people liked what I did, but there would always be a couple people that no matter what you did they wouldn't be happy because they had a different taste than you."

If there were people ever upset at him, Harter never saw it as she said he was as popular as they come.

"He had quite a fan club of people that would look for him every year," Harter said. "He was an icon around here with the sports."

Reorganizing the department

Just like Harter, Flak is proud of the department winning the Gold Medal Award at the National Recreation and Park Association Congress and Exposition in their final year together.

"That's quite an honor to go out on top," Flak said. "I'll leave like Tony La Russa did when he won the World Series (with the St. Louis Cardinals)."

Even so, the city was looking to go in another direction with its staff. Instead of having two recreation supervisors, Flak said the department wanted to hire multiple part-time employees who will save the city money by not having to pay them benefits.

"We are repurposing and repositioning them," Recreation Services Manager Pat Grulke said. "We'll have one full time and four part time. It was really looking at our needs and what type of work we needed to fill."

The new employees, which have yet to be hired, will also focus on one project instead of multiple ones like Flak and Harter did.

"They knew I was going to retire soon and with the (budget) cuts being severe this year, they weren't going to renew the position, so I was asked to retire," said Flak.

Nevertheless, Flak - who said he probably could have gone another year - doesn't have any hard feelings and only has good things to say about the department.

"I loved the people I worked with," said Flak, who said his wife works part time for the Rec. Department. "It's just a matter of letting go and letting someone take over and run it and hope they do a better job than you ever did. They just have to find the right people."

The department found that right person with Flak. Department members showed their appreciation at a retirement ceremony last month.

Harter was on vacation at the time, but she didn’t miss his final day in the office.

“I made sure I was there on his last day,” Harter said. “We were both balling. It’s hard to say goodbye, but I told him we’ll see each other again, because 36 years just doesn’t go away.

“He has so much energy and passion that he’ll probably be back in the community doing something.”

Probably. And he’s still thinking about how that softball meeting went.

Flak now has some spare time to enjoy other interests such camping, fishing and painting, which, he added, Harter also enjoys. So he’ll make a trip to Ixonia to Harter’s house and recall all they have done for Waukesha.

After all, he can tell a story with the best of them — be it last week or 36 years ago.

But it never was about him. It was always about the people he served.

“I hear many people where they don’t love their jobs and I feel sorry for them because I would take the worst day here and wouldn’t run from any challenges,” Flak said. “You had your heart into it. Things wouldn’t always work out, but I dealt with it because the public needs you.

“It’s a people business. You meet them and get to know them because that’s who you serve. You serve the community.”