Meet Hannah!
Name: Hannah Hutton
Position: Business Support Analyst, Park Services Division, Fairfax County Park Authority
Growing up, I always enjoyed activities so in hindsight, it makes sense that I ended up working in recreation. Karate, soccer, piano, art classes, dance classes, summer camp, you name it, I participated and had fun. I studied Community Health at the University of Maryland and then began my career at the YMCA in the Wellness Department.
At the Y I had the opportunity to further my passion for community well-being through every avenue I could think of. It was especially great to be able to connect the smallest wellness programs to the greater mission of the Y. Eventually it was time to further my education and I earned a Masters of Science in Health Promotion Management at American University. While working at the Y, I interned at Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences doing epidemiological research and worked at the American University Recreational Sports and Fitness department as the front desk manager. After grad school I ended up back at the Y as a wellness director, a trainer for the YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program, and Healthy Kids Day Core Champion. Immersing myself in the opportunities that were available eventually led me to the Fairfax County Park Authority and a job as the Fitness Programmer at Oakmont Rec Center.
The Park Authority has a very similar mission and structure to the work I’ve done in the past but more resources, organization and opportunities than I could have ever imagined. After a few years at the rec center, I took a new position at Park Authority Headquarters as a Business Support Analyst. I love that I get to work on lots of different rec center initiatives. Navigating the county regulations and processes in place is incredibly fun and interesting to me. I’m excited that I’m now in a role to help others achieve their goals on a larger scale.
My favorite thing about working for the Park Authority is getting to be part of more than a rec center and learn about the agency as a whole. There’s lots of opportunities to serve on committees, partake in professional cross training, and work at special events in areas outside of the normal day-to-day operations. It’s also great because I regularly learn about fun things to do during my personal time that I probably would not have been exposed to in any other profession. An example of this is hiking around Scotts Run Nature Preserve, taking family to Clemyjontri Park and attending the Summer Concert Series!