Nancy Carroll, parks and recreations director of Ames, is resigning after more than 27 years of working for the city.

Throughout her years working for the city, Carroll has been instrumental in the creation and maintenance of many parks, as well as public facilities such as the Furman Aquatic Center.

Carroll has also worked closely with many ISU students through internships and employment opportunities with the city.

“There are about 400 seasonal positions, and about 70 percent of them are filled by students,” Carroll said.

The city’s collaboration with the school is something Carroll cites as one of the best parts of her position. “Collaboration with ISU students and administration is second to none in the country,” Carroll said.

An example of this collaboration is the Ames ISU Ice Arena, which was built in 2001. The city and university worked together to build the arena as well as lay out scheduling to ensure all groups from the city and the university who need to use the arena can have access.

Though she may not work directly with all of the residents of Ames, Carroll’s position with the city had a great impact on everyone here. “What I have tried to do is connect people’s needs to resources to make them come alive,” Carroll said.

It’s this imagination and passion to help others that has lead Carroll to her new position with a non-profit group, Biblical Institute of Leadership Development International. This organization is a Christian outreach program which helps provide degrees to church leaders both nationally and internationally.

The program is based out of Carroll’s church, Oakwood Road, and has been growing for the past 20 years. Carroll will be taking on a fund development position with Biblical Institute of Leadership Development International.

Carroll said that there are many similarities between her job with the city and her new position in this program. “How do you work with others to get something accomplished for the good of the cause?” She said both jobs are about “seeing the need and trying to figure out how to meet the need.”

Carroll will finish January with the city, her last day being January 31, and will then move on to her new position. “[Carroll] is leaving a department that is in good shape and functioning well,” Susan Gwiasda said, Public Relations Officer for the city of Ames.

The city will soon begin an international search to find a new park and recreations director. Gwiasda said the manner of filling this position “would follow a traditional recruitment process.”

Currently, the city is also working to fill two more positions. The search is underway for a new city attorney, a position chosen by the Ames City Council and a new planning and housing director.