The Guilford Parks & Recreation Department recently hired two new recreation program coordinators—Andrew Turner and Lindsey Wilber—to fill two positions recently created by resignations. Both full-time employees began at the end of June.

“They have both stepped right into their roles,” said Guilford Parks & Recreation Director Rick Maynard. “In addition to their roles, we’re looking for them to help develop more teen activities as we’re looking to expand our offerings there.”

Wilber joins the department with a plethora of lifeguarding and aquatic experience. She was a swim coach at the Jewish Community Center in Woodbridge and a lifeguard at Albertus Magnus College and the pool in Cheshire. She spent two years working with AmeriCorps, working on repairing storm damage in Louisiana and South Carolina. Wilber has a degree in recreation and leisure studies from Southern Connecticut State University.

Wilber, who is a certified instructor of CPR and first aid, will help oversee the department’s aquatics program and administer boat racks at Jacobs Beach. She will also work with several fitness classes as well as with the senior programs.

“Lindsey is jumping right in at the weekly lifeguard trainings on Wednesday mornings at Lake Quonnipaug,” said Maynard. “We have an aquatics director so having Lindsey will be a great help to her.”

Turner received his degree in recreation, sports, and wellness from Gordon College in Massachusetts. While at school, he worked at the fitness center and initiated an ultimate Frisbee program, which grew into a club that held tournaments.

He has worked with the recreation departments in Wallingford and Simsbury and also has experience working in day camps. Turner, who is CPR and first aid certified, will focus on the department’s camps, sports camps, and athletic leagues. He will also handle scheduling of athletic fields.

“We had a Frisbee event in the works and he immediately got involved with that, which was great,” said Maynard. “He’s also an Eagle Scout, which says a lot because it takes a lot of work to achieve that.”

Both Turner and Wilber will help with the Rec Department’s special events, such as the Community Picnic and fireworks. They are also working on new programming ideas, which will be implemented as early as this fall.