After 40 years with parks department, Atkins relishes shot to lead it
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — It’s sights like a local playground full of excited kids that make each day on the job all the more special for Jeff Atkins, St. Joseph’s newly-appointed parks director and a longtime stalwart of the department.
“To know that you had a part in putting that playground there, it makes you feel good,” Atkins said with a grin. “I look forward to coming to work every day. It was easy for me to want to keep on going and move up.”
Atkins, the former assistant director, will help guide the next era of the St. Joseph Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities Department as director following the retirement of Chuck Kempf this April.
With 40 years under his belt, Atkins, a St. Joseph native, is relishing the opportunity to not only lead it, but to further support a community he has devoted much of his life to.
“I’ve spent the last 40 years getting to take care of the park system that I got to enjoy so much as a kid,” Atkins said. “It’s been a long road to get to this point, but I’m excited.”
As a child, Atkins claimed Hyde Park as his stomping grounds. He credited his passion for the park system for landing him his first job as a maintenance electrician in 1986, a fitting transition for the longtime Navy Seabee electrician.
Atkins not only brings an extensive amount of experience and leadership to the director position, but a wealth of knowledge on the history of St. Joseph’s park system.
“One of my biggest goals is our Parks tax projects, keep them going well and get everything that we promised we did done by the end of the tax,” Atkins said. “This was a game saver, it just totally changed the way the whole park system was going.”
Atkins said a perfect example is the upcoming $13 million Krug Park renovation project, which includes replacing the amphitheater, the stage, a complete facelift of the 102-year-old castle and renovating the upper playground.
“The children’s circus area is going to get a full makeover and its actually going to become the primary entertainment venue for the park,” Atkins said. “Then the current bowl area will really be totally redone and it will turn into more of a space that you’ll want to use for bigger festivals.”
Larger projects remaining on the parks tax, which sunsets in 2031, include a new $2.4 million East Side Park (2026), a $2 million Northside Splash Park (2026), a $4.2 million Hyde Park activity pool and pool house (2026) and finally, $3.4 million in renovations to Bode Ice Arena (2030).
Looking ahead, one of Atkins’ first major tasks will be appointing the next assistant director once he assumes the director position full-time, whether internal or external.
Atkins said with an excellent and experienced management staff already in place, he is confident the department will be able to continue its positive momentum into this 2025 and beyond.
Along with refreshing Krug Park, the parks department will see construction of a new Maple Leaf Skatepark, River Bluff Trails Park bike track, renovations at Corby Pond and a slew of new restroom facilities.
“It’s a fun time to be here. We’ve got projects all over town,” Atkins said. “I’m real excited about the opportunity and real thankful to the City Manager for having the faith in me to step into that role.”
