Mario Bazile opens with the Queen’s Gambit for a new structure. The Parks & Recreation Director analyzed his department like a chessboard. Bazile wanted to control the fractured department’s center “divided by the river” by moving his pawn to D4. The new Director came in “as a participant user.” Bazile said, “I wanted to [make changes] sooner- coming into the job, I had ideas of what I wanted to do, and I saw we had quality people, but there were so many facets of the department and inner workings [that I had to learn].” He sacrificed his queen-side pawn in his early months as Director for strategic analysis. After making his move, COVID-19 moved its black pawn to D5 opposite Bazile’s D4 pawn. After looking to get the department back up and running, he decided to make his next move, white pawn to C4, to restructure the department.

“I figured out that I am running two departments, I’m running an Eastbank version of myself and a Westbank department,” said Bazile.

After making his move, the department’s center was up for capture by the black pawn on D5. It was then up to the black pawn to either take control over the board’s center or decline the gambit. Black dropped, and Bazile reigned victorious, securing the centerboard. The Director’s new structure has two operation program managers- one for capital projects and maintenance and the other over athletics and leisure services. These two bishops are in charge of protecting the pawns and delivering that glorious checkmate. Under the two program managers are the four recreation administrators; one for maintenance, capital projects, athletics, and leisure- these rooks will be responsible for focusing on those interdepartmental divisions.

Bazile says that this structure will deliver consistent services that will significantly impact the quality of programs across Jefferson Parish and always entrust a checkmate.