Sam Trogdon
Town of Cary
An introduction: I am the Senior Recreation Manager for the Town of Cary. I primarily work in Community Recreation and supervise the Town community centers (Bond Park, Herb Young, Middle Creek, and The Hive), outdoor recreation facilities (Boathouse and Challenge Course), and programming.
Inspiration: My work gives me the opportunity to serve the community. My time working in Cary has allowed me to be involved in camps, senior programs, outdoor recreation, challenge course team-building, the recreation program, event-planning, and more, all of which have a positive impact on participants’ lives. The Cary community is appreciative of these experiences, making my work even more rewarding.
Core values: I believe that servant leadership is an important quality of a successful leader. This belief fuels my desire to lead with humility and offer support to those around me. As much as possible, I seek to help others, trust those around me, work together as a team, and strive for innovation.
My faith and my family are extremely important to me. As a husband and father of four, I am thankful for a good work-life balance. I can be successful at work while still being actively involved with my church, wife and children.
Professional highlight: I have received personal awards in the past, but those pale in comparison to the people I’ve met along the way. These people, whether family, friends, or co-workers, have shaped me into the professional I am today.
I’m blessed that I enjoy going to work every day, which is a result of the team I lead and others I work alongside. I am especially proud of the team I lead. It operates well together, communicates openly, is innovative, and is passionate about the work we do.
Biggest risk: Recently, a team of colleagues and I presented the film “Resilience” to our co-workers. Several hundred people attended the screenings to watch this film that explained the implications of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The risk in this situation was not knowing how the film would be received, but we felt passionate that this was a message that needed to be shared with others.
It was well-received and as a result, many are now more aware of ACEs and can apply this newfound knowledge to their field of work and their community. We continue to share the message of ACEs and work toward creating a Community of Care
Greatest challenge: I have been involved with promoting personal resilience in our community by addressing ACEs for over three years. I was introduced to the ACEs work while I was a board member for Advocates for Health in Action.
For the past two years, I’ve been involved with a group of Cary staff, as well as some community members, that has a goal to create a Community of Care. A Community of Care takes into consideration how trauma affects a person’s life, and it seeks to introduce resilience-building practices to help a person overcome trauma.
The subject of ACEs is a sensitive one, and that is part of the challenge. Our work is just beginning, but we have already accomplished much by increasing awareness to ACEs and implementing resilience-building practices in Town of Cary camps and programs.
