Agent of Change

by BRIAN KNAPP AGENT OF CHANGE

A natatorium, dog parks and bike trails are among the amenities that top the wish list of Newton County Recreation Commission Director Ternard Turner as he steers the organization into an exciting but uncertain future.

Ternard Turner has no interest in maintaining the status quo, as it was not in the job description he was given when he was hired. The married 44-year-old father of one has been at the controls of the Newton County Recreation Commission since Dec. 3, when he was named director and left his post as division manager for South Fulton Parks and Recreation near Atlanta.

Turner understands the challenge he has undertaken.

“It’s a lot of responsibility,” he said. “I’m a visionary, so I think my responsibility is to push the status quo and to take them to places they really never even thought about going before.

“Kids don’t vote. It’s important to me to be a voice and to be their role model where they could look up to me and say, ‘Look, this is the guy that’s fighting for us.’ We have somebody to fight for seniors. I want to be that voice for kids.”

Newton County Recreation Commission Director Ternard Turner

I’ve been blessed. I come from large agencies, so I can see the potential in Newton County, and I know where they can go. We deal with a lot of athletics, [and] we do a lot of recreation. I want to get into enrichment programs, summer camp programs, after school programs, mentoring programs, things of that nature, to diversify the portfolio and give the citizens something they have never gotten before.”

Turner earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a concentration in Physical Education from North Carolina Central University in Durham. He spent roughly two years working in South Fulton and served previously as director of recreation and facility management at the Hapeville Charter Career Academy, district director of parks and recreation for the Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department, executive director of leisure services for TB Consulting in Austell and director of school age and recreational services for the YWCA of Greater Atlanta.

A convergence of chance and opportunity brought Turner to Newton County.

“I had a friend of mine who used to live in Newton County, so I would come up from time to time and visit him, and I was like, ‘You know what? This ain’t bad,’” he said. “So when the job came open—he’s actually a director in Florida—he said, ‘Look, here’s your opportunity. Go to Newton County [and] really put your stamp on it.’ He likes some of the things I do, so I applied for the position and here I am.”

Turner sees himself as the product of the kind of organization he now fronts. As such, he does not have to look far for motivation.

“I’ve been doing this for 22 years,” Turner said. “Parks and recreation afforded me the opportunity to go to college. If it wasn’t for parks and recreation, the Boys and Girls Clubs [of America] and the YMCA, I wouldn’t be here today. It kept me focused, kept me out of trouble, so for me, it’s important because, for one, my son is watching, and for two, other young men and women are watching, as well. This is the way I give back. I want to give back.”

Recent additions to the recreation commission lineup include yoga, pickleball, Zumba, youth ceramics, fitness bootcamps and a 3-on-3 basketball league for kids on Friday nights. Since Turner took the helm, the department has opened a new splash pad at Denny Dobbs Park and the B.C. Crowell Fitness Studio at its Turner Lake Park headquarters. The commission also has plans for dog parks and a Thinking Out Loud mentoring program for youth, which appears to be on track to start in January. Further out, there are visions of a natatorium and bike trails. Turner covets input from the community.

“I have an open-door policy, so you can come and criticize me. You can tell me I stink,” he said. “I need that, so I can see what to do and what I shouldn’t be doing.”

The county finds itself at a turning point and in the midst of a five-year strategic plan, and Turner believes the recreation commission deserves to play a prominent role in its development.

“I am a quality of life champion,” he said. “My background is in health and wellness, and one of the things we’ve done is add health and wellness programs. I want to do things other than sports. We need to have other things. I’m not afraid to fail because you learn from it. I’ve messed up [before], but I know how to be successful, so we’re at a point now where I just need to trust in what I’m doing.

“Kids don’t vote,” Turner added. “It’s important to me to be a voice and to be their role model where they could look up to me and say, ‘Look, this is the guy that’s fighting for us.’ We have somebody to fight for seniors. I want to be that voice for kids.”