Bryan Hughes, the long-time Parks and Recreation supervisor for Fountain Hills, has left to begin work as the new Parks and Recreation director for the Town of Florence.

Hughes began his new job in Florence Monday.

“This is bittersweet,” Hughes told The Times last week. “I will miss the staff and the people in town here. I don’t want to leave, but you move on for new challenges and opportunity.”

Hughes said Florence is growing, now a town of 25,000. It has a small parks department but is ready to expand to meet the needs of the growing community.

It is moving into a significant expansion mode, Hughes said.

After 18 years in Fountain Hills, Hughes is not a stranger to parks expansion and improvement projects.

When he first arrived in 1995 the first phase of construction at Golden Eagle Park was just wrapping up. That park underwent four more phases of construction before reaching completion.

During his tenure the town has expanded Four Peaks Park, built Desert Vista and the dog park from the ground up and completed numerous improvements at Fountain Park.

“Probably Desert Vista and Fountain Park are what I am most proud of,” Hughes said. “We started the dog park (the first phase of Desert Vista) with $17,000 in fencing and built from there.”

Fountain Park was just turf around the lake with an aging playground. After the lake liner had to be replaced in 1999 the town began work on improvements that are just now scheduled for completion this summer with Phase 6.

Concrete walkways were installed around the park, a new playground and family area with restrooms was constructed, the performance pad and amphitheater was constructed, a number of picnic ramadas and the splash pad in partnership with the Fountain Hills Rotary clubs have all been added.

Hughes said the improvements have made the town’s park facilities more attractive to special events.

That has allowed the Community Services Department, which includes Parks and Recreation, to branch out in partnering with businesses, organizations and tourism for the benefit of the town.

Hughes has been active with the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association, receiving the organization’s Outstanding Professional of the Year Award in 2012 and the President’s Award in 2010.

He will complete the National Recreation and Parks Association’s directors school this summer.

Hughes said he is ready for new challenges.

“(Florence) is a lot like what we were doing here a number of years ago,” he said. “This is a good opportunity, as a professional you strive to be a director.”