The new face of the Lowndes County Recreation Department is a familiar one.
Former Mississippi University for Women athletic director Jennifer Claybrook has been hired as the full-time replacement for former county recreation director Roger Short, who passed away suddenly in October 2022.
Claybrook started Nov. 13, her salary is $70,000 per year, County Administrator Jay Fisher told The Dispatch on Tuesday morning.
Tom Velek, who served as interim recreation director since late last year, will continue as deputy director.
Fisher, along with President and District 2 Supervisor Trip Hairston and District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith, formed a committee that filtered through 13 applicants. The candidates overall were “outstanding,” Fisher said.
“We were blown away by the caliber of the candidates we had,” Fisher said. “It was a difficult decision. … (She) has been the athletic director at a university, she’s already a leader and has experience handling budgets, and that just jumps out at you.”
Claybrook served as athletic director at MUW from June 2021 until October 2023, when she resigned. She came to the W from Lagrange College in Georgia, where she served as athletic director, vice president for athletics, head softball coach and assistant for sports information.
She was at Lagrange from 2011 to May 2021, and was head softball coach for 19 seasons.
Claybrook said local recreation programs had a huge impact on her life.
“(Recreation) was a turning point in my life growing up,” Claybrook said. “It was a place to get a great foundation, to meet friends, to learn life skills. I loved sports so much, and I was able to learn how to balance academics and athletics and a social life.”
Short was one of the first people she met when she came to Columbus, Claybrook said.
“At the W we used the county soccer fields,” Claybrook said. “We talked frequently, and it was just a great relationship. … I worked with (Velek) when he took over, and I always had such a good experience. I love how we use the soccerplex.”
Claybrook said she wants to hear from stakeholders before making any decisions, especially when it comes to the new sports complex.
The approximately $12-million-dollar complex, off Highway 82 west of Columbus, features eight baseball/softball fields, as well as concession stands, bathrooms, picnic tables, an entry gate and a playground. The county took ownership of it last month.
“We have got to have feedback from constituent groups,” she said. “Aside from tournaments, I think it could be an event space. There are just so many things we could do, and it could be such a great resource for the community.”
Claybrook said she also wants to recruit volunteers.
“Volunteers are the heart and the soul of the organization, and without them it doesn’t function,” Claybrook said. “We also want officials to feel supported and enjoy their role as well.”
Velek, for his part, said he’s delighted to be staying.
“I’m thrilled to be working with (Claybrook) and I’m pleased the leadership wanted me to stay on,” Velek said. “From a professional standpoint it’s weird to have a conversation that said, ‘We’re sorry you didn’t get the job but we’d really like you to keep the job.’ Usually it’s a little less pleasant.”
Velek, a professor at MUW, applied for permanent recreation director. He could not have filled the position full-time, however, which the job required.
His deputy position will be part-time, Fisher said. His salary will be $32,000 per year.
Fisher said keeping Velek on was the obvious move.
“We had in the budget that we were going to hire a (deputy director) regardless,” Fisher said. “(Velek) has knowledge and experience from the past 11 months, and it felt to everybody that it would be good to keep him on.”
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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