Scott Pate has been named the new director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Brewton — taking over the job after Gary Hill retired.

While he has been on the job for a couple of months now, the 46-year-old is still learning the ropes.

“It is a little different and it has taking a little to get used too,” Pate said of his new title. “It is the winter time and things are down right now. In the spring when things pick up I am sure there will be things that I come across. I look forward to the opportunity to serve Brewton as the director.”

Pate is from Conecuh County, where he has lived in the small community of Belleville his entire life.

“I have been married 25 years this spring to my wife Loretta,” Pate said. “I have two boys, Austin who is 19 and is in college at Reid State and Steven who is 15 and is in the tenth grade at T.R. Miller. I have worked for the city for 16 years in February as the superintendent of the golf course. I worked at Evergreen golf course as a superintendent before that. I am chairman of the board at the Belleville Volunteer Fire Department. I have been the president, vice-president, chief, assistant chief and a 160-certified volunteer fire fighter. I am a class-A golf course superintendent. I am on the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team and have been the director of that in Conecuh County. I am on the chainsaw team and we went to Enterprise after that tornado a few years ago. Working for the city, we have things to do things here during a disaster so I have not been able to go out as much.”

Pate said his main responsibility as Parks and Recreation director is the golf course at Dogwood Hills.

“Roger Chapman and the recreation board oversee youth football and Babe Ruth and those types of things,” he said. “What we do as for the city and the funds, if they need something, they will come see me and I will bring it before the city council. I make sure they are following their budget and follow proper procedures and make sure the file purchase orders and they just don’t go out and buy certain things. The main scope of this job is over the Dogwood Hills golf course. We maintain O’Bannon and Sportsman’s Park. O’Bannon is just maintained and their have been some upgrades to Sportsman’s, but O’Bannon is in a flood zone.”

Pate, who was named director of the parks and recreation department after the first election before the mayoral runoff, said he has many expectations for his new job, but one main one.

“My first expectation is to get the full grasp of what the job entails,” he said. “I want to get with Roger and the board and see what needs there are. Most people when they think of Parks and Recreation, they think of Burnt Corn Creek, but that does not fall under us. That is the street department. So my first thing is to learn all the ends and outs of the job. Gary Hill did a good job in the 15 years he has been here. Roger has done a very good job with the recreation board. It really makes it pretty easy, but as far as expectations I need to learn more.”