When Cathy Wegener graduated from Penn State University in the spring of 1981 she had a clear plan for her future.
She wanted to work for the National Park Service, serving as a tour guide at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. But at the time the service wasn’t hiring.
So Wegener headed home to Berks County, where she found a job in the recreation department at Berks Heim. A year later she transferred to another county gig, working as an interpretive specialist for the parks and recreation department at the Berks County Heritage Center.
It turned out to be a perfect fit. So perfect, in fact, that her previous plans faded away.
Instead, Wegener decided to devote her professional life to supporting and growing the parks and recreational opportunities in Berks. It was a task that she poured her heart into for decades.
On Tuesday, Wegener will close that chapter of her life. The 65-year-old director of the parks and recreation department will officially retire after spending more than 43 years working for the county.
“It’s kind of crazy how it happened,” she said. “So much has changed and we have accomplished so much in that period of time. It’s bittersweet because I still really enjoy what I do, but it’s also time to pass the reins.”
Her career path is one that isn’t exactly the norm, at least not in this day and age.
“She literally spent her whole career at the county, and you don’t see that very often in business today,” county commissioners Chairman Christian Leinbach said last week during a meeting during which Wegener’s replacement was named.
While it might be rare for most people to stick with the same employer for more than 40 years, it was natural for Wegener.
The mission of the department is to enrich the quality of life for all county residents through its park and trail system that preserves natural resources and cultural heritage, offers recreational experiences and promotes healthy lifestyles. That is something Wegener said she was thrilled to be a part of.
And, she said, she’s proud of how far the department has come over the past four decades.
That includes the expansion of the Heritage Center, which she worked at from 1982 to 2018. It also entailed increasing the number of events and programs offered, the completion of the Union Canal Trail, the addition of Antietam Lake Park, the restoration of the Gruber Wagon Works, replacing the lighting in all the parks with LED bulbs and the rehabilitation of the Union Canal’s Lock Number 47.
“I was so fortunate to be here to see all that growth,” she said.
While Wegener played a big role in moving the department forward for many years — having served as interim director on multiple occasions — she made her largest impact after taking the reins as director in 2018.
The director oversees a staff of eight supervisors, 14 full-time park maintenance workers, 14 part-time park rangers and 21 part-time seasonal staff. The department boasts nine parks and recreation facilities along with its many programs and events that offer a wide variety of experiences and opportunities for visitors.
“Running the department takes a lot of commitment because it’s open every day of the year from dawn to dusk, so you have to be available all the time,” she said.
Along with the big projects the department has tackled, Wegener said a large focus of her job has been on the smaller tasks that need to be done to keep the county’s parks up and running.
“There has also been a lot of minor work that we have done at other places, but these old buildings and structures require a lot of maintenance to maintain,” she said. “That was really my goal to catch up on some of that work that needed to be done so we can ensure that we are preserving our history.”
But, she said, one of her biggest achievements during her time in the department was growing the volunteer program.
“We would not be able to do what we do without our wonderful volunteers,” she said.
Wegener said that as she steps away from the department she will miss the people she works with more than anything else. She said the relationships she formed are what made the job so special.
Wegener said she’s looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren and traveling around the country, noting she would love to visit all of the national parks. But she also plans on continuing to be a face frequently seen at Berks’ parks.
“I may be retiring, but I’ll be back to terrorize them as a volunteer,” she said with a chuckle. “And I’ll only be a phone call away if anyone has any questions.”
Wegener’s rather large shoes will be filled by another longtime county employee.
Brendan Lederer has been promoted from his current position as assistant director to take over as director.
“I’m happy that Brendan is going to take over,” Wegener said. “We have worked well together over the years and I know that he will do a great job.”