She’s got rather large shoes to fill, but if anyone is the perfect person to take over, it’s Linda Sheridan.
Sheridan has been the new director of Orcas Rec since mid-August, replacing long-time director Didier Gincig. After 13 years at the helm, Gincig announced his decision to leave several months ago.
“I’m excited about the transition,” he said. “I feel it’s clearly time for me to try something else. I have a tremendous sense of joy and clarity.”
Sheridan comes with years of experience as an outdoor educator. She’s been with Moran State Park for the last four years, running the Moran Outdoor School and nature programs for kids.
“I learned a lot of great stuff,” Sheridan said. “It was an opportunity to solidify my management skills.”
Sheridan and her husband Paul are from Minnesota. She worked at a YMCA summer camp for 10 years, first in high school and then while finishing college. Because of her experience there, Linda decided to major in outdoor recreation. She earned her degree from the University of Minnesota Duluth.
“Working at the camp was where I first realized I loved nature and working with kids,” she said. “I thought: ‘they’re paying me to teach kids how to ride horses – that is so cool.’ I like getting kids to do activities instead of sitting inside watching TV.”
Linda and her husband found Orcas five years ago while living in Idaho, where she worked at a ski resort and Paul was employed at wilderness camp for troubled youth. He applied for positions at several camps, and was hired at Four Winds Camp on Orcas. He was recently promoted to director.
“Our plan was to stay here for four years, but it’s now going on five, and we’re not planning to move,” she said.
Linda misses the weather in Minnesota because she and her husband are “very into snow sports.” They get their fix at Mt. Baker and Whistler, where they snowboard every winter. She also hikes, bikes, likes playing with her yellow lab, Kate, and working in her vegetable garden.
“We also love to travel,” she says. “We went to Baja and Brazil last year. And we go back to Minnesota a lot to visit family.”
Linda is intent on keep as many kids as possible in the Orcas Rec programs, and is excited about diversifying what the organization offers. She wants to see more classes centered around nature and farming.
Fundraising will be a major component of Linda’s position. The county has cut 100 percent of its funding to Orcas Rec – $16,500. The rest of its budget comes from user fees and donations. An Orcas Island Parks and Rec junior taxing district will be on the November ballot, but it’s future is unknown, so the non-profit is preparing to raise money in the coming year.
“The community is supportive and I’m looking forward for that to continue,” Linda said.
Gincig added: “I know the community will not let Orcas Rec disappear.”
Gincig has spent the last few weeks training Linda, and his official final day was Aug. 24, but he will be helping out with two major events: the Steve Braun Triathlon on Sept. 6 and an Orcas Rec concert fundraiser on Sept. 11-12.
A “Meet and Greet and Farewell” party will be held on Friday, Aug. 28 in the Lundeen Room at the Orcas Senior Center from 4 to 6 p.m. It’s a chance for the community to bid adieu to Gincig, and usher in Linda. She feels the most challenging part of her new job will be meeting Orcas Island’s community members, and understanding the many island connections.
“Getting a handle on the programs and the organizational side will be fine. But meeting everyone will be hard. It will be fun – but challenging,” she said.
