Get to Know: Laurie Beisecker

The rain is pouring down and is knee deep in mud. Take a step. Pull your foot out. Take a step. Pull your foot out. 

But she’s prepared. A staff of supportive people, 12 years of experience and a pair of “super cute” black rubber boots are on her side.

Beisecker is the Parks and Recreation Director of Fairlawn. She’s in charge of preparation for the new community garden, which opened Friday. For two days, Beisecker and her team braved the storms to pound hundreds of corner posts and plot numbers into the ground of the Ridgewood Road field. 

“This year, the weather just did not cooperate,” Beisecker said. “We had planned to let the Mothers Day weekend, but we have not been able to get out there and get them plowed.”

Summer recreation plans for the city go beyond gardening.

Even after she got out of the field (and cleaned the mud out of her car), Beisecker is still knee deep­ – in responsibilities.

Kids camps, movie nights, concerts, parades and the recently reinstated are all on her mind. Beisecker is constantly on the run while preparing for summer in the parks. 

 Her office voicemail sums it up: “Due to the nature of our department, we are often out of the office.” 

“People say ‘you’re never there!’ Well, there is a lot in the parks to get ready,” Beisecker said. “But we’re very fortunate. Who can sit and do all of their paperwork in the morning and then go out and play in the parks in the afternoon?”

Play is her job.

As a child, Beisecker played in the very same parks she now runs. She was raised near , in a family of 10.  Beisecker now lives in Wadsworth with her husband and their daughter Ashley, who also grew up playing in Fairlawn parks.

“The more that we are involved and our family is involved in Fairlawn, the better. People see that,” Beisecker said. 

Beisecker believes her biggest challenge is getting kids out in the parks with her.

“Every summer we get somebody who asks ‘well don’t you have a TV out here?’” Beisecker said. “Kids want to play Wii and computer games, but our programs are outside, all day.”

If Beisecker isn’t working with kids, she’s managing groups of adults. 

“She’s very good at communication,” said Jen Selzer, Assistant Parks and Recreation Director. “We work with local businesses, the finance department, the service department, the police department and the fire department, and she does a very good job of making sure everyone is on the same page.”

But at the end of the day this summer, you can look for Beisecker working side by side with the other Fairlawn gardeners.

“My mom bought a plot in the community garden and she, my best friend and I are going to split it,” Beisecker said. “We’ll be planting some tomatoes and peppers, maybe some peas.”

Her summer may be busy, but for fresh vegetables, Beisecker doesn’t mind being back in the mud.