High-ranking Chavez Center manager to resign
A high-ranking Santa Fe Parks and Recreation Department administrator whose management skills have been a source of frustration for the city manager in recent months has announced she is stepping down.
Liza Suzanne, who has been the recreation complex manager at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center since 2010, submitted a letter of resignation last week.
Her resignation, effective July 12, comes less than three months after another Chavez Center manager resigned after being accused of selling city-owned scrap metal for personal gain. An investigation into the alleged theft of the scrap metal revealed infighting among employees and other management issues at the popular recreation center on the city’s south side.
The resignation also comes after City Manager Brian Snyder raised concerns in December about Suzanne’s management ability.
A source with knowledge of the situation said Suzanne recently received a letter informing her the city was initiating termination procedures against her. But city spokesman Matt Ross declined to comment, saying it was a personnel matter.
Ross said he could only confirm that Suzanne is
“employed by the city of Santa Fe and on annual leave.”
Parks and Recreation Director Rob Carter also declined to discuss Suzanne’s resignation, including whether the city planned to fire her. “That’s a personnel matter right now,” he said.
Suzanne, who was paid about $71,400 a year, did not return messages seeking comment.
In her June 28 resignation letter to Carter, Suzanne said, “I appreciate the time that I have spent working for the City of Santa Fe, with the Department of Parks & Recreation. I wish you and the City all the best and my hope is for the continued success of the Genoveva Chavez Community Center.”
Carter said he and his administrative manager are working with the Chavez Center staff to make sure the facility runs smoothly.
“We’re developing an internal plan that we’re going to take to the city manager next week, and from there, hopefully, we’ll move forward,” he said.
According to city documents, Suzanne had previously worked for the city and was rehired as a fitness technician under a 90-day contract in December 2003. In April 2004, she became a temporary recreation supervisor before becoming a classified recreation supervisor in July 2005. In February 2008, she was promoted to classified recreation section manager, and in May 2010, she was promoted to recreation complex manager.
Suzanne came under scrutiny in December as she scrambled to bring on local high school and college students to staff a winter camp. She wrote an email saying, “We would like to know if any alternative procedures, such as a seasonal employee for one week or a waiver from the [city manager] for the insurance/business license might be applied to the program.” Snyder balked at the request. “Why is this being brought up 1 week before the camp is scheduled to start?” he responded in an email.
“This is very poor planning and management and is something that should have been figured out by Liza a long time ago,” he wrote. “I am very concerned that the thought of waiving insurance for kids [under 18 years old] under contract that will be watching other kids is even being suggested. The current requirements will need to be followed.”