Kent Commons gym renamed after Lori Hogan to honor parks employee

Lori Hogan walked into the Kent Commons gym on a recent day expecting a routine City Parks Department staff meeting.

Little did the longtime Parks Department recreation superintendent know that rather than a meeting, staff had organized a celebration of Hogan’s more than 48 years with the city.

A celebration that resulted in the unveiling of the Lori Hogan Gymnasium, the new name for the city-owned Kent Commons Community Center gym that displays her signature and name on the floor.

“Surprise doesn’t completely or accurately capture how I felt. …more like shocked and amazed,” Hogan said about the June 30 ceremony. “The Parks Department does not often name any of our parks or amenities and so this is an exceptional honor that I will cherish forever. Totally unexpected but so very much appreciated.”

Hogan, as recreation superintendent, oversees the Kent Senior Activity Center, Kent Parks Teen Center, Kent Commons Community Center, arts and performing arts, youth and teen programming, adult and family programs, programming for people with disabilities, events and public permit rentals, all athletics/sports and tournaments and more.

She credits others for her accomplishments.

“My name is on the floor but any exceptional contributions to the city and community were done in concert with an incredible team of recreation professionals,” Hogan said. “They deserve to have their names on the floor too!”

The request to name the newly remodeled gym after Hogan came from the Parks Department in honor of her dedication and public service to the community, Parks Director Julie Parascondola said. Mayor Dana Ralph authorized the new name.

Parascondola said Kent Parks has a naming policy and has the ability to name an amenity, room, feature, etc. after an individual, when an unusually outstanding public service would so justify.

Hogan started with the Parks Department in 1974 as a seasonal employee while attending Kentridge High School and continued that work while at the University of Washington. She’s been a sports official, scorekeeper, playground leader, Summer Day Camp director, gym and field supervisor, Special Olympics coach, front desk customer service assistant at Kent Commons and a longtime volunteer.

Her first full-time position was assistant manager at the Kent Commons beginning in September 1980. In early 1981, she was promoted to Recreation Program supervisor. Six years later she returned to the Kent Commons as the facility manager. She started her current position in 1987.

“She leads an incredibly dedicated and talented team of 26 professionals with around 250 temp/seasonal staff throughout the year, as well as hundreds of volunteers annually,” Parascondola said. “On average, Lori’s division delivers 2,800-3,000 recreational experiences annually to the public, from events, to classes, to programs, to leagues, etc.”

Hogan definitely loves her work.

“It has been an incredible opportunity to serve the Kent Community for so many years,” she said. “My position has constantly evolved as the profession has grown, the community needs and interests have changed, new park facilities have come online allowing our department to do new things, and the department has grown and developed in ways that have allowed me to take on new responsibilities, divisions, and staff.”

Parascondola said Hogan’s leadership has been at the center of it all.

“She has led the Recreation and Cultural Services Division within Kent Parks through many challenging budgets and recessions, has worked through many crisis’s over the years whether they are storm events or tragic events, has been a mentor to her staff and others in the profession and most recently, helped her team through a very challenging few years with the closures and restrictions due to the pandemic, ultimately reinventing how we connected with and served our residents, in a time we could not gather and be together,” Parascondola said.

The community partners Hogan works with include Kent School District, Kent Downtown Partnership, the Kent YMCA, the Greater Kent Historic Society and others.

“We thought the best way to articulate our appreciation for all that Lori has given to the city and community, is to dedicate a space to her, that she’s spent a lot of time in and that truly personifies ‘recreation’ by all that happens on those floors — from athletics, to aerobics, to events, to day camps, to art, to weddings and parties, to dance and so much more,” Parascondola said.

So far, Hogan has worked under five different mayoral administrations and with four different park directors. She’s honoring the legacy that her mother-in-law, Isabel Hogan, Kent’s first female mayor, began decades ago.

Kent renamed Russell Road Park as Hogan Park at Russell Road in 2014 to honor Isabel Hogan and her impact on parks and arts. Hogan served as mayor from 1970-86. She died in 2015 at age 94.

Lori Hogan is uncertain how much longer she will stay on the job.

“It’s hard to say how long I will continue to work here. …now that my name is on the Commons gym floor, I will probably need to stick around at least until the floor needs its next drum sanding,” she said with a wink.

Any retirement party might have a hard time topping the gym naming ceremony. Parascondola said they were somehow able to pull off a fake meeting despite Hogan’s hands-on approach to her job.

“Lori thought she was attending a regular work meeting and was instead met with her family, her staff, her colleagues, past employees and past park directors,” Parascondola said. “To say she was shocked is an understatement. She was so touched and brought to tears at the gesture. We don’t do a naming often, but very little staff have served this city exclusively for five decades, like Lori has. She is deserving of this recognition and so much more.

“It’s been one of my greatest pleasures working with her, she’s leaving an outstanding legacy and foundation for those that will eventually need to fill her shoes.”

Lori Hogan receives a hug during a June 30 event to name the Kent Commons gym after her. COURTESY PHOTO, City of Kent

Lori Hogan chats with those who attended a June 30 ceremony to name the Kent Commons gym after her. COURTESY PHOTO, City of Kent