ELLINWOOD — Coming to Kansas from the Denver-metro area, Kyle Chamberlin enjoys the friendliness of the smaller community in Ellinwood after his move in January. Also a plus for the former senior recreation specialist at the Aurora, Colo. Recreation Department where he spent a five-and-a-half years, is less time spent on the road commuting.
Kyle and his wife, Julie, have also found in Ellinwood a more family friendly, community atmosphere and a lower cost of living. They have two young children.
As the first full-time director of  Ellinwood Recreation, Chamberlin realizes he is starting from scratch. He  loves to organize, set up the details, and looks forward to building the program out.
“It’s a good challenge,” he said. “Everyone wants recreation.”
Short term goals include putting together spring and summer sports. Kyle wants to set up the basic programs and fill in the details, then adding some arts and crafts and some preschool programs and senior and adult programming.
“It’s a cool, fun molding process,” he said.
The community voted in April, 2013 to begin collecting a mill levy assessment for a separate recreation commission. The board of directors began meeting monthly last year and Chamberlin was hired in November. The commission began collecting its revenue stream January, 2014.
Kyle is not new to Kansas, having played football and golf for Sterling College. He grew up in Arvada, Colo. where he played sports too.
He is frequently asked if he misses the mountains.  Although Kyle will miss play time in the mountains, he said that on the average day, he had an amazing view of the mountains in the morning commute and the evening commute.
In his spare time, he likes to play golf and for when he gets back to Colorado, skiing and snowboarding, which he wants to teach to his kids. Kyle also would like to be actively involved in church activities for young children, which is also a priority. Plus, he still likes working out.
Chamberlin has done some work on his master’s degree, originally in education, but has since changed his major to Public Administration.
Kyle’s wife Julie is a stay-at-home mom originally from Valley Center, and his son Paxton is three years old and daughter Taryn is 17 months.