Sandy parks director Rochelle to leave June 4; Tiana named interim parks lead

City of Sandy Parks & Recreation Director Rochelle told the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board on March 14 that her last day with the city will be June 4 and that she accepted a position as park and recreation director in Faribault, Minnesota.

Rochelle thanked the board for its support over nearly four years with the department, noting the board’s input on Parkland Dedication and fee-in-lieu discussions and crediting staff for building program capacity. She said department leadership will continue after her departure and that Tiana, the parks and facility lead, has been named interim for the parks portfolio until a hiring process is completed.

Rochelle identified John Wallace as continuing to lead senior services and recreation work and said Chelsea will continue handling operations behind the scenes. She described the department as “small but mighty,” thanked individual staff and board members and said the decision to leave was difficult but based on a family move back toward Minnesota.

During the same meeting staff updates noted that the invitation to bid for Deerpoint Park closes next week and that the department is having ongoing conversations with the consultant Lango Hansen about Meining Park (referred to in the meeting as Meining/Meinegg). Staff said those procurement and design steps move the projects closer to construction.

Board members offered congratulatory remarks and said Rochelle will be missed. No formal board action was taken on the transition item; the interim staffing assignment was described as an internal personnel decision to carry the work forward.

Questions and next steps: Staff will continue conversations with contractors and consultants on Deerpoint and Meining Park and will follow the city’s hiring process for the vacant director position; the meeting did not record a timetable for recruitment or hiring.