Glasgow and Barren County are losing a community leader who has been involved in many developmental projects in the area during the last several years.

Kentucky State Parks Commissioner Gerry van der Meer has announced several personnel changes in the parks department as part of a new management structure and Monica Conrad, manager of Barren River Lake State Resort Park, has been tapped to oversee the parks in the eastern region of the state.

Conrad will be one of three new regional managers and will oversee 16 resort, recreational and historic parks in the eastern Kentucky division. She, along with Kerry Lamb, who most recently was director of resort parks and will be the manager for the central region, and Stefanie Gaither, who has been the manager at Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park at Mount Olivet and will serve as manager for the western region, were all promoted from within the department and will divide oversight of the state’s 52 parks.

“These changes are part of our plans to bring about improvements and more efficiency to our park system,” van der Meer said. “All three of these regional managers have experience with state parks that will benefit the entire department.”

Conrad’s transition to her new post will be a rapid one. She begins her new duties in Morehead on Monday. Friday will be her last day at the local park. She said park managers met last week at General Butler State Park and she was assigned the new regional position at that time.

“I think the parks department is planning some great improvements and they want to hit the ground running,” Conrad said Wednesay. “I’m really excited. This is a great opportunity, but I’m sad to leave all the good people here.,”

Conrad took the position of park manager a little more than five years ago in September of 2004. During her tenure, many improvements have been made to the park and additional programs and services have been added.

At the end of 2005, the state awarded bids to renovate six beach cottages and 15 lodge rooms at the park as part of an ongoing effort to upgrade facilities there. The local park, along with 31 other state parks, began taking reservations for campgrounds in February 2006, which helped alleviate problems with campers traveling great distances and arriving to find no available sites.

In April 2007, a new fitness center was opened at the park for employees, guests and area residents. Conrad helped bring the first Corporate Olympics to the park in the fall of 2008 and a B.E.A.R.S. Youth Boot Camp as well.

The park began partnering with Austin-Tracy Elementary in 2008 to offer students additional activities including hikes, science experiments and water safety programs.

More than $3 million dollars in capital improvements were made in 2008, which greatly benefited accommodations in the park, Conrad said. Recent additions have included the Sandhill Crane Watch and the Stonehaven Art Gallery.

The park also has partnerships with Friends of Barren River Lake and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, she said.

Conrad has been involved in many local organizations while a resident including Junior Achievement, which she said she will “miss greatly,” the Far Off Broadway Players, the Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce, Caveland Marketing Association and the Kentucky Restaurant Association, southcentral Chapter.

Ernie Myers, executive vice-president of the chamber, enjoyed working with Conrad and will miss her.

“I’m crushed. What a dream she has been to work with. No agenda, just get the job done. She has been a delight and the community will miss her. She will be hard to replace,” he said.

Conrad served as president of the Glasgow Business & Professional Women club during 2008-09 and helped spearhead a gala fundraising event in December 2008 in conjunction with T.J. Samson Community Hospital for a new women’s health center.

Current B&PW; President Becky Barrick worked with Conrad for several years in the local club.

“I’m really sad about (her leaving),” she said. “She certainly was a great asset to the our club and we’ll really miss her.”

She also served on the Glasgow-Barren County Tourist and Convention Commission and was reappointed in June 2008 by Barren County Judge-Executive Davie Greer to serve another three-year term, which would have continued until June 2011.

Conrad’s new parks will include Natural Bridge, Carter Caves, Pine Mountain, Greenbow, Levi Jackson and Grayson Lake among others.

She said she looks forward to what’s ahead and is excited about the move back to her home part of the state, but is torn because of the friendships and relationships she has formed locally.

“I’m from Morehead originally — eastern Kentucky — but I consider this as much my home. It’s heartfelt and bittersweet to leave,” she said. “The people of Glasgow gave me an open-arms embrace. You don’t find that everywhere. It’s pretty amazing what we have here, especially when you’re a stranger moving into a community.”

Conrad said she was lucky to work at Barren River, but knows there is more for her to do in her new parks

“It’s been an awesome experience. The employees (at the park) are a tremendous asset to the community,” she said. “The challenges facing state parks are the same facing parks across the nation. It’s tough economics to work in, but we have to improve the parks and leave a stronger legacy for future generations.”