She’s only the third parks and recreation director West Valley City has had in its 43-year history. 

Jamie Young was appointed in August to head the city’s growing parks and recreation department. She succeeds Nancy Day, who retired after serving nearly seven years as director to cap a 24-year career with the department. Young was the assistant director under Day before the promotion. “I always hoped that I would have an opportunity when she did retire to succeed her,” Young said. “I’ve learned so much from her.” 

Young joined Parks and Recreation in 2000, just after the Family Fitness Center and Centennial Park opened. “I’ve seen some really great things happen in our city,” she said. They include the addition of new parks, a skate park, pickleball courts, the acquisition of the Centennial Park outdoor swimming pool from Salt Lake County, a remote control car obstacle course, and a new bike park which opened near Centennial Park in September. The Ridge Golf Club also underwent improvements during Young’s tenure as assistant director. 

As director, she will oversee even more new parks that will come online in the future such as one in the Sunset Hills residential development on the city’s far west side near state Route 111 and in the Newton Farms subdivision near 3700 South and 6400 West. Those sites will be funded by impact fees paid by developers. A challenge course with a 40-yard dash will be finished next spring at West View Park. A wetlands park is also planned near the city’s parks and recreation maintenance facility at 6700 West and Parkway Boulevard. 

“It’s just a really exciting time. We have really great support from our elected officials and city administration,” said Young, a University of Utah graduate.  

Before Day became parks and recreation director in 2017, Kevin Astill held the position since the department was created 32 years earlier. 

“We do everything we can to get grants to help offset the cost (to the city),” Young said. “We’ve been given a lot of support to be able to solicit those types of grants to add amenities that our community deserves.”   λ