MIDDLEBURY — Dustin Hunt always knew he wanted to work with children in the field of athletics. He got an opportunity to do just that during a 14-year stint with Middlebury Parks & Recreation Department (MPRD), five of those years as its superintendent.

Hunt thought he’d retire at Parks & Rec, but was recently wooed by a new job that allows him to do many of the same things just a stone’s throw away from the Middlebury Recreation Facility on Creek Road — at Middlebury Union Middle School, where he’s the new dean of climate & culture.

“This job offers me an opportunity to do the work I enjoy most, in my hometown, and at a school I went to,” Hunt said. “That is a dream come true.”

Hunt joined Middlebury Parks & Rec in 2009, as a part-time grounds and maintenance worker. His diligence and enthusiasm were rewarded in 2014, when he was promoted to program coordinator. Hunt’s climb up the Parks & Rec ranks culminated in his promotion to department superintendent in 2018, succeeding Terri Arnold.

In a recent conversation, he thanked the late Yvon Pouliot for giving him his start with Middlebury Parks & Rec 14 years ago. Pouliot became a legendary Middlebury town employee for his decades of service, completing many municipal beautification projects.

“Yvon was the hardest worker I know, and he dedicated his life to making Middlebury a beautiful place to live, both literally and figuratively,” Hunt said. “Sadly, he recently passed away (in late October) due to Alzheimer’s, so I wanted to make sure to honor him and let his family know how much he truly changed my life.”

Being involved in Middlebury Parks & Rec programming was always interesting and fun, according to Hunt, who’s always enjoyed sports and is a natural “people person.”

“Without a doubt, my favorite part of the job was the relationships I built with the families in our programs,” he said. “Over 14 years, I had the pleasure of getting to know kids when they were in preschool and kindergarten and following them all the way through high school graduation and beyond. I also have kids of my own and led many of the programs they participated in. I feel truly blessed that the position allowed both me and my family opportunities that we might not have had otherwise.”

Hunt also enjoyed the spontaneity and unpredictability of his Parks & Rec workdays.

“No two days were ever the same and because of that, the job never felt stagnant.,” he said. “There were new issues that arose each day that forced me to think and react quickly, and I think that really helped prepare me for this new role that requires working on several different tasks at one time.”

Asked what he’d miss most about his Middlebury Parks & Rec job, Hunt without hesitation said “the wonderful staff I had the opportunity to work with. The town administration is very dedicated to the community it serves, and I had the opportunity to watch and learn from some truly remarkable people.”

He specifically cited Middlebury Director of Operations Bill Kernan, who instilled in Hunt a lot of the leadership skills he possesses today.

Leaving Middlebury Parks & Rec was a difficult decision for Hunt. But in the end, he knew he was leaving the department in good hands.  

“The best decision I made as superintendent was to hire Scott Bourne as a program coordinator five years ago,” Hunt said of his successor (see related story on this page). “Scott is someone I truly look up to and I can say in the five years we worked together, we never had one disagreement about anything. I am thrilled that Scott was promoted to superintendent upon my departure, and I have no doubt in my mind that he’ll continue to do great things for the town.”

While he’s no longer employed with Parks & Rec, Hunt maintains a (future) family connection there. His fiancée, Amber Power, has succeeded Bourne as Parks & Rec program director.

“We met each other because of the recreation programs, and she has spent countless hours volunteering for the department, and I am excited to reverse roles with her, repay the favor, and stay involved behind the scenes,” he said.

What accomplishments do Hunt hold especially dear from his five years leading the department?

“Since the day I took over as superintendent, my biggest goal was always to revitalize the recreation park and make it a destination for families to come and spend the day, and I feel like I was able to accomplish that,” he said. “I was able to foster relationships with community stakeholders that allowed us to build a handicap-accessible tot-lot playground, a picnic shelter, a bicycle pump track and mini-ramp. Continued improvements to the pool, including two climbing walls, made attendance numbers increase significantly, and I truly feel like I am leaving all of our parks in a better place than when I started.”

Hunt is also proud of what he described as “inclusive programming we were able to create and offer where everyone felt welcome and had a sense of belonging.” He specifically cited Middlebury Parks & Rec’s day camp, Camp Kookamunga, which Hunt called “a melting pot of kids from all different backgrounds, from various parts of the world coming together despite their differences to build meaningful friendships that will last them a lifetime.

“We never turned a family away from participating due to an inability to pay or any other socioeconomic factors,” he added. “We always worked with families to make sure every kid who wanted to participate in any program was able to do so, and because of that I think we played a small part in creating positive outcomes for at-risk youth.”

MOVE TO MUMS

Youth will continue to play a major role in Hunt’s professional life, albeit in a different venue: MUMS. As dean of climate & culture, his tasks include student discipline, being a student case manager, facilitating afterschool extracurriculars (ranging from sports to club meetings) and generally supporting students and teachers.

He sees some similarities between his past and present jobs.

“Both positions require building relationships with families and using effective communication with community partners to deliver positive experiences for the children in our community,” he said. “A lot of my current focus is revamping the activities and athletic programming at the school, and that is an area where I have extensive experience. There are a lot of similarities with administrative tasks in terms of scheduling games, referees, buses etc., and I am finding that I am routinely working with a lot of the same people I had relationships with at my previous job.”

Working with kids has always been his goal, and he’d always imagined himself eventually working in a school setting as an athletics director.

One of his favorite duties right now is being on recess/lunch duty and having one-on-one time with each MUMS student, leaving work with a sense that he’s making a real difference in their lives.

“I feel like my old role gave me an advantage starting here because I already knew a majority of the students, and we share mutual respect,” he said.

He said he is excited to work with MUMS students and staff to “create fun new events and initiatives that help build our school community and promote a sense of belonging and acceptance. 

“I also think it is important to continue to build goodwill within our greater community,” he continued, “and I will be working with various student groups on community service projects.”

Hunt realizes his MUMS predecessor, Esther Charlestin, left the job following complaints about racially charged incidents. He referred specific questions ton this topic to Principal Michaela Wisell and/or Addison Central School District interim Superintendent Tim Williams. He noted that MUMS and ACSD are engaged in new and ongoing efforts to battle racism and intolerance.

It should be noted that the MUMS dean of climate & culture position was created with federal pandemic-relief dollars, and that funding sunsets at the end of this academic year. But Hunt doesn’t believe he’ll need to look for another job next spring.

“Based on the conversations I had during the interview process, the administration seemed committed to creating a permanent role moving forward that would best meet the needs of all of our MUMS students,” he said. “It is ultimately up to the administrators and school board what shape those roles take. Right now, I am focused on working my hardest each day to prove the value of my position to the staff and families of the school.”

Principal Wisell said Hunt has been a great addition to the MUMS staff.

“When he arrived, he hit the ground running,” she said. “Within his first month, Dustin wrapped up our fall athletics season, began planning for our winter athletics season, got a few new clubs off the ground and spearheaded the MUMS Color Fun Run. Dustin has experience as a systems thinker, understands how organizations function and has great connections in our greater community. Dustin brings a strong willingness to learn and a lighthearted energy to our leadership team, but most importantly, Dustin has endless positive connections with our students which allows him to support them and their families in a multitude of ways. We feel grateful he joined us this fall and look forward to the work ahead.”

Reporter John Flowers is at [email protected].