Augusta’s top pick for director of Recreation and Parks has 26 years of experience in recreation departments, but her competition packed an array of experience as well, particularly in sports.
The Augusta Commission voted 9-0 Tuesday to hire Tameka Williams, most recently the deputy director of recreation for Richland County, S.C., to head the department, which has been without permanent leadership since February.
The Augusta Press requested application materials for at least three finalists for the position, which the city is required to disclose 10 days before making a permanent decision, and city officials released them Friday.
Of the finalists, Robert P. Martin was one of several in Augusta recreation management to resign under embattled former director Maurice McDowell’s tenure. An Augusta native, Martin served as athletics program manager when he left in 2022 after 22 years with the department.
Working as athletics program manager, Martin managed budgets in excess of $750,000 and the implementation of programs, bid on tournaments, and delegated leagues and tournament direction “to ensure the highest quality events,” according to application materials. He served as interim planning and development manager for 16 months.
Martin left the city to accept a position as events manager with the Greater Augusta Sports Council in March 2022. He has a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology with a major in sport management from Georgia Southern University.
Finalist Trevor T. Welcher has served as parks and recreation director for McDuffie County for five years. The Augusta native is the brother of Housing and Community Development Director Hawthorne Welcher.
Welcher has a Master of Science degree in sports administration, as well as a Bachelor of Science in sport sciences, both from Delaware State University, where he played basketball and served as team captain for four years.
Welcher has worked for the Boys and Girls Club of Augusta, the Wilson Family YMCA, served as a Richmond County head men’s basketball coach and Paine College, where he was an adjunct professor for seven years.
Finalist Fred Lowery has been the recreation and operations superintendent for Hilton Head Island Recreation Association for three-and-a-half years.
A graduate of the Director’s School of the National Recreation and Parks Association, he has a master’s degree from Ohio University in sports administration and a Bachelor’s degree from Voorhees College in business administration, according to his application.
As superintendent, Lowery leads and directs the operations, management and improvement of parks and recreation programs, activities and facilities.
He previously served for five years as athletics program director for Hilton Head before leaving to serve about 18 months as parks and recreation director for Marlboro County, S.C., Parks and Recreation. Lowery said he left Marlboro when COVID-19 shut down recreation activities.
