Meet Basin Recreation’s New Director Dana Jones

Photo: Photo: Dana Jones

PARK CITY, Utah. — After a 28-year career in California State Parks, Dana Jones, Basin Recreation’s new district director, said this new role feels “like a perfect fit.” Following an early retirement, Jones started consulting for a Parks and Recreation District in California and explored the Western half of the U.S., Canada, and Alaska before taking the step to relocate to the Park City area.

“I’m really excited about being a part of the community and getting involved with the activities and organizations here at Basin Recreation and making sure that everyone who lives here in the Snyderville basin has access to all the cool things that we do in the facilities we have,” Jones said.

One of the main reasons Jones was attracted to this area was that this community is centered around fitness and a shared interest in being outdoors. In the winter you can find her cross-country skiing, which she grew up enjoying. Jones loves to paddle-board and swim in the summer months, and will likely be found at the Jordanelle or Rockport reservoirs. She’ll fit right in as a Parkite, as she plans to fill her garage with outdoor toys.

“I think it’s really important for a new manager coming in to see and understand everything about the organization before you just start saying what you want to do differently,” said Jones, who started her new gig mid-December. “Everything they are doing here is just really great stuff. I think it’s important for me to spend a lot of time, in the beginning, to see what’s going on and what everybody’s doing and the good things we’re providing.”

Jones arrived during the shoulder season, and couldn’t gauge how busy the district’s facilities are currently. Regarding Covid-19 protocols, she said the recreation center is implementing the same measures most facilities in the country follow, and “this district is doing the best they can to protect the staff and our users.”

When you bump into her at Basic Rec., ask Jones about her RV travels and her epic adventure of visiting 19 countries in just one year.