Nancy Day

Contact Information

Biography

I am a proud wife of a US Army Veteran and have five amazing kids and three beautiful grand babies. I am not from Utah but have chosen it as my home and loved raising my family here and being a part of the community. I   started my educational career in Parks & Recreation at USU and have enjoyed every moment!  After receiving my B.S. at USU, I attended the University of Utah to pursue a M.S., also in Parks & Recreation Management.  This set me on a course of many future opportunities including work at the State, County, Special Taxing District and Municipal levels. I was also able to work in leadership positions with many associations such as URPA (Utah Recreation & Park Assoc.), NRPA (National Recreation & Park Assoc.) and NIRSA (National Intramural & Recreational Sports Association) at the national, regional and state level.  In my current position as the Parks & Recreation Director for West Valley City, UT, I have the opportunity to change lives and make decisions that benefit residents from all walks of life.  The divisions I  manage include: Family Fitness Center (rec center), Recreation, Park Maintenance and development, Trail Systems, two Golf Courses, Harmon Senior Recreation Center, Food & Beverage Services, Utah Cultural Celebration Center and the West Valley Performing Arts Theater.  Each of these divisions contribute in many ways to the quality of life for West Valley City residents.  Over my career I've had great parks & recreation professions who took the time to mentor me and educate me on the profound difference we can make in our communities.  This has always stayed with me no matter what role I was in and I still use their advice and inspiration even today.

Most Meaningful thing learned or experienced during his time as a KHS student:

Two things come to mind.  First, networking and getting to know the professors and other students.  No matter how busy life is this will always be valuable.  As a single mom with a full-time job, this was difficult at times but well worth the effort.  Second, volunteer for everything!  On campus, off campus, paid or not, these opportunities helped advance my career.

Advice for current students or recent graduates of the program:

Listen to your professors and make time to visit with professionals in the field.  You will get different perspectives from each person you talk with.  Include different areas in the field (therapeutic, municipal, outdoor, travel & tourism). This will help you make career path decisions and open doors.