Dare County announces new Public Services Director, Spencer Gregory

Dare County has announced that Spencer Gregory, who has worked for the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department since September 2000, has been promoted to the position of Public Services Director. Gregory was promoted to his new position on Sunday, October 29, 2023, following the retirement of longtime Public Services Director Tim White, whose last day of service to Dare County was on Monday, September 25, 2023.

Gregory—who earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation administration from the University of Georgia in 2000—initially began his service to Dare County on September 29, 2000, when he was hired to work as a leisure activities coordinator for the Parks and Recreation Department’s Northern Beach Division in Kill Devil Hills. Less than one year later, on September 17, 2001, he was promoted to the position of leisure activities specialist for the Northern Beach Division and was transferred to the Roanoke Island/Mainland Division in 2002.

He received a second promotion on February 28, 2005, when he was promoted to the position of leisure programs supervisor and obtained designation as a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional from the National Recreation and Park Association in 2007. Gregory served as leisure programs supervisor for the Roanoke Island/Mainland Division for more than 18 years before his 2023 promotion to his new position as director of Dare County’s Public Services Department.

In this new role, Gregory serves as the director of the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department’s three divisions and is responsible for coordinating the operation of multiple sports organizations providing youth sports programs, as well as budgeting, maintaining and facilitating the operation of multiple programs and fields throughout the county.

“I enjoy seeing people of all ages enjoy all the recreation opportunities Dare County has to offer,” said Gregory. “We live in a great, unique community. I want to build upon what has been established and listen to input from our citizens and make the best decisions possible in regards to our programs, fields and facilities. I am going to do my best to continue to facilitate that along with evolving with future trends and the needs of the community.”

In addition to serving as director of the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department, Gregory is also tasked with providing administrative leadership, oversight and direction for the departments, programs and facilities within Public Services, which include the Virginia S. Tillett Community Center, Thomas A. Baum Senior Center, Fessenden Center, Friends of Youth, Older Adult Services, Transportation, Dare County Dance, Cooperative Extension and Community of Juvenile Services.

Among the numerous tasks for which he will be responsible in this role are preparing and monitoring the Dare County Public Services Department’s budget; coordinating the operation and maintenance of public services activities; directing a variety of leisure activities programs and parks development for citizens throughout the county; and reviewing and evaluating program delivery, policies, rules and procedures; as well as many others.

According to Dare County Manager/Attorney Bobby Outten, Gregory’s 23 years of experience working for Dare County—combined with his education in recreation administration, designation as a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional and his passion for providing public services to the community—made him the perfect candidate for the position.

“With more than two decades of service to Dare County, Spencer Gregory has obtained an extensive wealth of knowledge and experience that make him an incredible asset to the community,” said Outten. “He has proven to be a dedicated public servant with a passion for working to provide programs and services to citizens of all ages, and his hard-earned promotion to the position of Public Services Director is well-deserved. I look forward to working with him as he continues to serve the citizens of Dare County of all ages in his new role.”

For more information about the Dare County Parks and Recreation Department, please visit www.DareNC.gov/Parks.