Chappell Named Assistant Director At Parks and Rec

Friday, June 28th, 2024

Will Chappell has been named the assistant director of the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department. Chappell, a Dalton native, has worked with the department for the last seven years, most recently as the recreation superintendent. 

"I worked with Will even before I came to the City of Dalton," said Parks and Recreation director Caitlin Sharpe. "Will is really known throughout the GRPA (Georgia Recreation and Parks Association), and I dealt with him through athletics and just programming outside of being here at the city of Dalton. When I got here to Dalton, he’s really been the person I’ve always leaned on."

Caption: Parks and Recreation Department assistant director Will Chappell 

Chappell is a 2008 graduate of Dalton High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Georgia Southern University in 2012 in recreation administration and a master's degree in public administration from the University of West Georgia in 2019. Chappell joined the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department in 2017 after starting his career in Calhoun. 

"I love getting to work with the community. You’re generally doing something that they’re excited to join you and be a part of," Chappell said. "They’re voluntarily signing up to be a part of a program or an athletics experience and it’s up to us to make sure to meet their expectations. So it’s certainly a challenge."

"His passion for the City of Dalton, particularly parks, recreation, and athletics for this community, really connects him and gives him a leg up because he’s so ingrained in the community," Sharpe said when asked why Chappell was the right person for the position. "I’ve leaned heavily on his knowledge of the community and his knowledge across the board of recreation. I’ve been able to learn a lot from him."

"It's been great, we've had a lot of different learning experiences," Chappell said of his time with the DPRD so far. "When I first got here, (we were) adding a lot of athletic programs and now we’re focusing on general programs that aren’t necessarily sports-related. That's been great to see the growth of the department and our facility improvements are always exciting – getting to see our facilities get back to being the prominent locations they once were is exciting." 

(UPDATED July 16th, 2024 - Chappell has been appointed to serve as interim director of the department following director Caitlin Sharpe's resignation. Sharpe is leaving to join the faculty at Jacksonville State University)