by Mary-Kate Roan
Staff Writer
David Benedict has only been in Jacksonville’s Parks and Recreation ranks for three and a half years. But he’s already found himself the recipient of a Goal Star Award, the highest award for a city employee to be nominated for.
And that’s not all he’s thankful for.
Formerly a resident of San Diego, where his parents currently reside, Benedict has three children – Makaela (12), Katarina (10) and Luke (seven) – and a wife, Danielle, who are all healthy and living in Jacksonville.
“I have a healthy family and a job with the City,” said Benedict of what he’s most thankful for. “Things are going great.”
Benedict was among a group that decided to hold some of the Senior Games at the Cecil Commerce Center because there was a larger recreation area.
“This was the first time I had helped with the Senior Service Department,” said Benedict. “I was glad to help with the teamwork that went into it.”
Of the more than 30 events that took place during the Senior Games, 13 were held at Cecil. From weightlifting to line dancing to cycle racing, the games were a mixture of state qualifiers and just plain fun.
“It was neat to see seniors doing Olympic-style events,” said Benedict. “And things went very smooth.”
Part of the reason things went so well was because Benedict and other team members were working on the behind-the-scenes details.
“I worked with the preparations, designed the courses,” said Benedict. “And if anything went wrong I corrected it.”
Prior to moving to Jacksonville, the San Diego Parks and Recreation employed Benedict for 12 years – six years working part time and six years working full time.
“He brought ideas and activities from San Diego,” said Pam Wilson, assistant management improvement officer for the Recreation and Community Services Department. “San Diego is one of the premier parks and recreation departments.”
As for his work ethic, Wilson applauded Benedict for his ability to perform his duties with a smile.
“When you ask him to do something, he’s happy to do it,” said Wilson. “He never gives you a hard time and always makes things a little better.”
Wilson cited a time when Benedict delivered papers to a local school, where he made sure to talk to the faculty and staff to ensure the papers were distributed properly.
“My wife wanted to live at the ocean and have nice weather,” said Benedict of the decision to leave San Diego to move to Jacksonville. “It was also less expensive to live in Jacksonville than San Diego.”
So, Benedict and his family moved to Jacksonville about a year before he took on a job, earning his income through the real estate market.
“We would purchase houses and sell them,” said Benedict, adding that the houses ranged from new houses to those that he and his family would fix up and sell. “But we got out of it when the market started going down.”
When he’s not on the clock with Parks and Recreation, Benedict can be found spending time with his family.
“My children are my hobby,” said Benedict. “They keep me busy.”
But Benedict loves his job, especially the multiple tasks and demands of his job. Benedict especially loves that he gets the chance to do a little bit of everything.
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