The City of Nevada is pleased to announce the promotion of Jayson Kingsbury to Building and Grounds Coordinator with the Nevada Parks and Recreation Department.
Jayson, 46, takes the position previously held by Joe Mousel, who was recently promoted to Street Superintendent with the City Street Department.
Jayson came to work for the City as a Wastewater Operator in July of 2019. The Wastewater Department is currently advertising for this position. He didn’t mind his time with the Wastewater Department, but is truly excited about the opportunities he’s going to have in his new position.
At the top of the list is the opportunity to get out and about in the community more. “I love being out, seeing things that need to be done and helping to make things better for the community. I also like seeing people,” Jayson said. “My biggest goal is to continue the great job that Joe has done in this position.”
It’s important to note that Jayson carries solid credentials for the position he’s moving into.
A 1994 graduate of Nevada High School, he went on to study Parks and Natural Resources at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids and then transferred to Upper Iowa University in Fayette, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Conservation Management.
“They told us we had a variety of things we could do with this type of degree, including parks and recreation management, parks ranger, and even something like what I was doing in wastewater management,” Kingsbury said. Many don’t think about the huge amount of environmental knowledge that is needed in wastewater management, but his background did help there, too.
Jayson started his new duties with Parks and Rec on July 1. Joe has been helping him to understand the many tasks involved in the position. “We’ve been going through the irrigation stuff today,” Jayson said. “I dealt with irrigation systems when I worked for Country Landscapes (his employer for 20 years before he came to the City). But every box is a little different; they get updated often.” So, he’s taking in everything Joe can tell him and learning as he goes.
Jayson’s wife Stacey is also a Nevada native. She is a 30-year employee of Hertz Farm Management. They have two children. Katelyn just graduated from Nevada High School and is heading to University of Northern Iowa to study speech therapy. She’s also getting ready to show swine at the county and state fairs with FFA, her dad noted. Their son, Kyle, will be a sophomore at Nevada High School this fall, and is involved in many sports, which will keep his parents busy over the next three years.
As he considers what lies ahead, Jayson said his career goal is to continue working for the City and for its Parks and Recreation Department. “Since I’m from here, working for the City is a real plus.”
–Written by Marlys Barker, City of Nevada
