Rochester Avon Recreation Authority Welcomes New Executive Director

At just 35 years old, the tall and lean new executive director of the (RARA) looks like he should be scrimmaging on the basketball court, jogging down the Paint Creek Trail or playing hockey at the Onyx Arena.

In fact, Executive Director Ron Jewell loves all of those things – and being active, in general – which he says helps qualify him for his current position.

Jewell took over as executive director of RARA in March after John Anderson, who spent 19 years with RARA, retired at the end of February.

"Sports were huge in my family," said Jewell, who grew up playing sports with his identical twin, Mark, with whom he still plays hockey.

"I love it," said Jewell.

The road to RARA

Jewell graduated from Troy High School and attended Ferris State University with his brother, who now works as a .

“We both went to Ferris State at the same time," Jewell said. "I opened the course book and saw parks and rec; he opened the course book and saw police, so he went into that field.”

Jewell earned his bachelor's degree in recreation management and minored in facilities management.

After graduating from Ferris State, he spent two years in Brighton as supervisor of the Recreation Department before landing a position in Southgate, where he spent the next 11 years as assistant director – and then director – of the city's Parks and Recreation Department.

Early this year, Jewell said he found a job posting for the executive director position at RARA on the Michigan Recreation & Park Association website and applied for it.

“I saw a little blurb on there, so I sent my app out, and here we are," he said.

After several rounds of interviews with more than 50 candidates, the RARA board offered the position to Jewell.

He snatched it up.

"(Jewell) is a fantastic young man who brings an energy to the position," said Rochester City Council and RARA board member Kim Russell. "We had three great, qualified candidates, but he really impressed us as a go-get-'em kind of guy."

“I may look young, and I may be young," Jewell said, "but I have a lot of experience in the profession.”

Coming home

Though Jewell said he enjoyed his time in Southgate, he was ready to come back home to Oakland County.

“Being back up in this neck of the woods, where I’m from, is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time," he said. "This is my chance to finally be back home.”

Jewell still lives in Southgate with his wife and four children – twin 7-year-old boys, a 14-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son.

“It is an absolute joy," he said. "I have four kids in and out of the house on a constant basis. It’s a small house, and it’s almost like we pack them in like it's barracks.”

Jewell said he hopes relocate to the Rochester area soon to a home that will better fit his family.

“The plan is to hopefully get back up here with the purchase of a home," he said.

The future of RARA

Jewell said RARA, like many other organizations that rely on money collected from taxes, has seen a drop in income in recent years, which has caused budgetary issues.

"The taxable values of homes are not what they were," Jewell said. "We have a millage through the city of Rochester Hills, and then the city of Rochester pays a similar portion" based on Rochester Hills' contribution that year.

"That tax base that we collect from that millage is less and less every year from the city of Rochester Hills," he said.

Residents from Rochester Hills and Rochester account for 61 and 16 percent of all registrations, respectively. Residents from Oakland Township account for 13 percent of all registrations, though the Charter Township of Oakland does not pay RARA; instead, township residents pay an additional $20 or $28 non-resident fee to participate in youth and adult programs, respectively.

Roughly 60 percent to 65 percent of RARA's income is generated from program user fees, which vary from program to program; the rest of the money RARA receives is from the millage, Jewell said.

“Obviously, the less money coming in means we have to make things happen on the other hand through programming, offering new programming and so on.”

Jewell says he hopes to make up for the decrease in income by offering more programming for adults and children, closely following trends in recreation and offering the latest popular activities and programs to area residents.

RARA also plans to redesign its website to be more user-friendly and informational – something Jewell said it desperately needs.

Despite the hardships RARA faces and along with the changes Jewell is already implementing, he said he is thoroughly enjoying his new position.

“This is a primo job," Jewell said. "It’s a great job in a great community doing something I love.”