Cheer Story: Town of Wolseley Invests in New Community Position!

In small communities, growth and development often depend on the dedication and vision of key individuals. In Wolseley, a new position was created to take on these responsibilities, and Julia Schofer stepped into the role of Community Development Coordinator with passion and expertise.

Julia’s journey began as a summer student with the City of Melville’s Tourism division, where she developed a love for community events. After finishing high school, she pursued a Recreation and Community Development Diploma (now known as the Recreation and Tourism Management Diploma) at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, followed by a bachelor’s degree in Sport and Recreation Management and Business Administration Diploma from the University of Regina.

“As the Community Development Coordinator, I am responsible for fostering the growth and development of our community. My primary focus includes emergency management response, historical and cultural preservation, economic and business development, residential growth, tourism, and parks and recreation functions,” said Julia.

“This role is brand new and has been requested by the community for many years,” Julia shared. She noted that the Chief Administrative Officer was previously responsible for community services, but pressing issues often pushed these responsibilities to the side. Over time, community groups and residents expressed the need for a dedicated liaison for grant support, operational concerns, infrastructure requests, and more.

“The community kept pushing for more personnel to be added to municipal operations to support their needs, which also led to adding economic development, communications, and facility operations to my role,” Julia elaborated.

When asked about the impact this role has had on the community so far, Julia explained, “I believe the impact on the community has been great! Having a dedicated individual to focus on community services—parks, recreation, culture, heritage—has been welcomed by both residents and community groups.”

She pointed out that, just as infrastructure like roads and utilities are vital, community services are equally important for making a town a desirable place to live.

Julia brings prior experience from her time with the City of Yorkton, which has allowed her to hit the ground running in Wolseley. The most rewarding aspect of Julia's job is the people of Wolseley. “Although I’ve only been in this role for just over three months, I’ve really grown to enjoy the people here. They’ve embraced me so quickly and are so appreciative of the work done so far,” she shared.

Julia’s passion and experience fuel her commitment to ensuring Wolseley thrives and grows for years to come.

Wolseley is one of many communities that participated in  South East District’s Recreation Board Development Program which led to many discussions around the hiring of a recreation position. Is your community interested in a Community Recreation Delivery review? Contact us at ed@southeastdistrict.ca!

Photo Credit: Julia Schofer, Community Development Coordinator