Longtime Moultonborough recreation director retiring

MOULTONBOROUGH — The town has announced that longtime recreation director Donna J. Kuethe plans to retire after 41 years on the job, effective, Sept. 1.

Kuethe notified town administrator Walter Johnson and the Board of Selectmen on Jan. 2, giving eight months notice to ensure that there is a smooth transition and succession. In her notification to the board she said she has loved the profession, the job and the community with a passion and noted that it was a hard decision to make.

Kuethe was the first full time recreation director for the town. She was initially hired as a part time seasonal director in 1979, then was offered and accepted the challenge of creating a full time, year-round recreation department.

According to a press release from the town, Kuethe has often noted that she started with no office, phone, job description, budget, and very little in the way of equipment or supplies. She has facilitated the growth in the department, taking it from that part time, seasonal department to a full-service, year-round program reaching residents and visitors of all ages. She said seeing the growth of the department has been a source of great joy and pride. The department has been widely recognized for its excellence in providing recreation services to residents and visitors alike. 

In addition, Kuethe is considered a tireless advocate, leader, and educator for public recreation at the local, state, regional and national levels. She has a wide variety of public parks and recreation experience and possesses a fierce passion for the power and impact of public parks and recreation. She is active and a leader in the New Hampshire Recreation and Park Association and the National Recreation and Park Association. In her letter to the board she thanked them for their support of her and her department.

Kuethe also serves on the national board of directors for Every Child is Ours, traveling and committing herself to humanitarian causes improving the lives of children in South Africa, Mexico, New Hampshire, and South Dakota. She serves on the board of Leadership Lakes Region, and is a 2009 graduate of the program. 

Following her notice to the Select Board, board chairman Joel Mudgett stated: “On behalf of the entire board we want to express our sincere congratulations to Donna on a long and outstanding career and thank her for her 41 years of service to the Town of Moultonborough. We wish her all the best in her retirement!”