Longtime Chehalem Park and Recreation District Superintendent Don Clements last week drastically moved up the date on which he would retire … to immediately.
The veteran of 40 years in the position told the CPRD board at its last meeting that instead of leaving the position in June 2025 at the beginning of a new fiscal year, he would retire immediately.
“It is with optimism and nostalgia that I announce my decision to move ahead with retirement as fall begins,” he told the board. “While I had originally decided to retire in the spring, the board of directors offered to provide my compensation through June, and I have accepted that offer.”
Clements, 79 and a Georgia native, has overseen unprecedented growth in the park district, with the addition of numerous parks, trails and other facilities over the past four decades.
Included was the opening of the 18-hole Chehalem Glenn Golf Course and the Newberg Skate Park, both highly regarded in their respective communities. He was also at the helm of the agency when it reconstructed its popular, albeit ancient, aquatic center and recreation center into one of the top facilities in the state.