Faces of City Hall: Amy Collins
Amy Collins is the Director of Tourism and Business Development, and Interim Recreation Superintendent for the City of Glens Falls. This Glens Falls native feels very fortunate to live and work now in her hometown!
Amy graduated from St. Lawrence University, and initially moved to Washington, D.C. When she returned to New York, she first lived in New Paltz, where she worked for Governor Pataki and was on the Consumer Protection Board for 12 years. The Collins family – husband Jeffrey Collins, and two children, 22-year-old Maggie and 19-year-old Ian – returned to Glens Falls to provide a quality of life for their children, and to be near grandparents and extended family. “We knew the value of growing up in the area as both of us enjoyed being raised in Glens Falls and wanted the same for our children,” Amy said.
The business of tourism and recreation are intertwined. Amy has been the City of Glens Falls Director of Tourism and Business development since 2011. When Mayor Bill Collins (no relation) took office, he asked her to assist with the recreation department. Recreation tourism is a huge industry in the city; Glens Falls has become a destination for all kinds of sports and recreation! The Cool Insuring Arena just hosted the NYSPHSAA Basketball Championship, which brought an estimated 20-million tourist dollars over the three day event. “Youth sports bring families to stay in our hotels with the teams, and the families eat at restaurants. That’s all part of tourism. And, these local venues are for residents and tourists alike. Tourism helps improve the quality of life for the local residents. It’s important to invest in recreation tourism,” Mayor Collins said.
Currently, the City of Glens Falls Recreation Department is part of a coalition with Mayor Collins, the City’s Recreation Commission, and the City Council’s Recreation Committee to reconstruct the athletic court complexes throughout the city. The athletic court complexes are located at the Montcalm Street Park, Murray Street Park, and the Sagamore Street Park. The East Field Court Complex began its reconstruction in the fall, and will be completed this spring. The funding for these park projects is through The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA); ARPA funding provides a unique opportunity for state and local governments to make strategic investments in long-lived assets, rebuild reserves to enhance financial stability, and cover temporary operating shortfall until economic and operating conditions normalize.
Amy has supported Glens Falls parks throughout her life – she served on the Candall Park Beautification Committee for 15 years prior to taking on the responsibilities of the Recreation Department. One example of the city’s hard work is the Crandall Park Court Complex: this complex holds several pickleball courts, tennis courts, and basketball courts, and also has a seating area where people can socialize while waiting for a court or taking a break from playing. To complete this project, the city was helped by private citizens… This private/public partnership had set the tone for a strong continued effort to improve parks and recreation areas. There have also been other additions to Crandall Park – a splash pad was recently added at the playground area, as well as an 18-hole disc golf course.
The City of Glens Falls has a wide array of special events that support both recreation and tourism: “Much of the business of tourism is about fun and relaxation, but it still is business. We now have more hotel options and more restaurant options than we had even five or six years ago… The streetscape has changed and improved. We want a strong retail presence, arts presence and hospitality presence, we have a lot of local talent and we want to showcase that… I’m the middle of five children and I am always referring to ‘the group hug’, making everyone in the city feel included is important. For the city to continue being successful, we need to coordinate and collaborate. We are better together,” Amy said.
Amy Collins is certainly busy, but she has wonderful support staff and colleagues that make her job easier – her assistant in the Recreation Department is Yvonne Catallo, who has been with the department for five years. “She has provided a wonderful service to the community, and her personal touches and attention to detail have been invaluable.” Amy said.
The Glens Falls Recreation Department is currently hiring staff for summer camp counselors, and hiring lifeguards for the swim areas at Haviland Cove and the East Field Pool. If you are interested in a seasonal position with the recreation department, please call (518) 615-0446; or for more information about the recreation department or tourism, visit cityofglensfalls.com.