Behind the Parks: Meet Trevor at Metro Parks Headquarters

Trevor Williams
Metro Parks Construction Manager

Hometown and Background

I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio on the northeast side of the city. My father was raised on a farm in West Virginia and he met my mother in Warren, Ohio where she was born and grew up. They married and moved to Columbus in the early 1960s. I was the third of three boys and I also have a younger sister. Though my family was Protestant, I went to Catholic schools through the eighth grade. When the cost of parochial school became unaffordable, I completed my highschool years at Mifflin High School. I excelled in sports and did well academically. I won an academic scholarship to The Ohio State University.

I had always had an interest in engineering and in my final year of high school and freshman year of university I worked as an intern at a civil engineering firm, Hockaden & Associates. I was studying engineering at OSU, but those internships were an eye opener for me. I learned that the working lifestyle of a civil engineer was not for me. I felt much more inclined to be outdoors and onsite, working to see projects come to life in the real world and not just on a drawing board. I did some searching and found that Columbus State had a very well regarded Construction Management program, at the associate degree level. I felt so much more enthusiastic about construction management as a future career. Even though it meant giving up my academic scholarship, I chose to go that route. So after just two years at OSU, I left the university and enlisted at Columbus State where I obtained an Associates of Science in Construction Management.

I had to fit in my studies at Columbus State around a job to earn my keep. For a couple of years, and I’m going back more than 30 years here, I worked as a maintenance technician at Blendon Woods Metro Park. It was a great experience and I enjoyed learning how to use heavy equipment and cope with the challenges of keeping all aspects of a major public park in good working order. But it was hard to fit in my studies at Columbus State around the work schedule at Metro Parks, and I eventually went to work for my dad, who ran his own business as a contractor in the construction industry. I was used to working for him, as I had done summer jobs for him since I was about 10 years old, sometimes working a full 40-hour week on site during the holidays. I learned a lot from my father about construction and work ethics.

I continued working with my dad and his firm after finishing at Columbus State. I was keen to acquire a full four-year degree, so I transferred all my credits from OSU and Columbus State and studied for a Business Management degree at Wilberforce University. It took me several years to complete the degree, as I continued to work in construction while studying. I eventually obtained a Bachelors degree in Organizational Management.

I had a desire to do more commercial construction than my father’s firm did, so I started my own construction business, Central Ohio Construction. The church I went to was in need of some building work and I was able to help them with their projects. Word got around about the good work we did, and it led to me being invited to bid on projects with other churches in need of new build or building renovation projects. It became something of a niche for my company, as I fulfilled a number of design/build projects for seven different churches over the years. One of the biggest projects I worked on was a new build 49,000-square-foot building for the Columbus Christian Center, with a 2,000-seat sanctuary, near to the Columbus Airport. My company went on to build several other churches in central Ohio. We built houses from ground up, and did full renovations. I became a licensed general contractor, a licensed sewer and water contractor, and a licensed demolition contractor.

Eventually, after many years and a lot of successes, I felt I needed a break from the pressure of running a business and I decided to sell my company and maybe look for something with a little less stress. The timing seemed incredibly fortuitous. My wife, Rowanda, who works as a director of strategic sourcing at a recruitment agency, heard about a job Metro Parks was advertising, for a Construction Manager. It was a new position, and seemed to be right up my street. I remembered how much I had enjoyed my time working at Blendon Woods all those years before, and I had a feeling that this was meant to be! I applied for the job and interviewed for it in November 2023, and started in my new role at Metro Parks in the middle of January this year.

What I do at Metro Parks and what I love most about it

As Construction Manager, a new position at Metro Parks, I am still helping to define what the role might become. My primary role is to oversee construction projects large and small throughout the park system. I believe my experience can lead to more efficient building processes and smoother operations. The primary project on my list is construction and development at Bank Run Metro Park, as we work towards opening this park at a future date. The park has lots of development needs. An immediate focus is renovation of the Ingram building, which will become an event center, and renovations and additions for the old Optimist Lodge. The Ingram building is about 70 percent complete and we will soon begin work on adding restrooms to the Optimist Lodge. I’m also liaising with muncipalities and engineers as I work to develop an electrical and lighting plan for the Bank Run Metro Park, which will require upgraded transformers and new lightng fixtures.

We’ll also be adding new sewers at the park. An exciting feature I’m involved with at Bank Run is the re-creation of a giant slide. Decades ago there was a giant slide there, when the previous Hoover Y Park was run by YMCA. It was called the Granddaddy Slide. We’ll replace it with something equally exciting for riders — a 100-foot-long slide with a sharp 20-foot drop in elevation. It won’t be for the faint of heart, but it will be exciting, safe, and great fun.

I’m also managing or involved in projects at other parks including the installation of new water lines at Blendon Woods, a new restroom facility at Quarry Trails, a nature center addition at Blendon Woods, which is still in the design phase, and the Rose Trellis at Inniswood Metro Gardens. I’m really enjoying my work at Metro Parks. Although I’m kept very busy, it feels remarkably stress-free compared to life as a business owner. I get to be outside a lot and work on some really exciting projects.

My favorite Metro Parks activity

I try to get out to a park at least once a week to go biking, or sometimes hiking. I like riding to Blacklick Woods on my bike, and then hopping on the Greenway Trail as far as Pickerington Ponds and back, and sometimes all the way to Three Creeks. Highbanks is one of my favorite parks to hike, especially taking one of the wooded trails on hot days, where the shade of the trees keeps you from getting too overheated. My wife Rowanda sometimes likes to hike with me and occasionally our daughters will join us to make it a family hike.

Traveling – places I’ve been, places I’d love to go

Rowanda and I have been to lots of places in the continental US. Our favorite place is Las Vegas, which is wonderful for a quick three- or four-day trip. We’ve been there seven or eight times now and always have a great time. The food is great and we really enjoy the shows put on by the hotels. They’re always entertaining, whether it be magic shows, Vaudeville, or the fantastic Michael Jackson Experience that we were lucky enough to see on one of our trips. The hotels have really nice pools and there’s a luxury atmosphere, but it can be expensive, which is why a few days is enough. We’ve also been to Miami, which has some great bars and restaurants on South Beach, and enjoyed a trip to Los Angeles a few years ago. Another great favorite to visit is New Orleans, which has a unique feel and has some of the best cuisine I’ve ever tried. Their seafood is always great, and the cajun influence is often present, making for some simple but delicious dishes. Eating crawfish in New Orleans was a delight. We’ve only been there a couple of times, but it’s a place we would definitely be happy to visit again.

We have talked about going outside the continental US. For Rowanda, the priority is a trip to Hawaii. We’ve also talked about a trip to Italy, an African safari, and a trip to Mexico. They’re all on our radar for the future.

Fun facts about me and my family

1. I have twin daughters! Mikayla and Madison are fraternal, not identical twins, but they are very close. They are 18 years old and we just dropped them off at Hocking College as they begin their college careers. Mikayla is studying science there and intends to go on to Otterbein later to study zoology. Madison will study nursing for two years at Hocking College and is already contemplating the completion of her nursing education at OSU.

2. The Dog and Lizard! That isn’t the name of a bar, it’s a reference to the dog and the gecko that our daughters are leaving behind. They can’t take them to Hocking College with them, so they remain with us in Columbus. The gecko I can cope with, as it lives happily in its own enclosure, but I don’t like the prospect that Maxx is going to be getting under my feet a whole lot more than he used to. Maxx is a Maltipoo, which is short for a Maltese poodle. Maxx and I have a contentious relationship. I prefer larger dogs. Before I got married, I twice had a Rottweiler as a pet. Rottweilers are definitely my favorite dogs. With the right training, I always found them to be stable and well-behaved dogs. I see a new Rotty pup in our near future.

3. I’m a big Cleveland sports fan! I used to be a season-ticket holder for the Cleveland Browns and I still follow every minute of their games on TV. I, like most real Browns fans, think the same every year, that this year WILL be the year. Doesn’t matter what happened the year before, or how badly it went. This year WILL be the year. I can’t wait for the season to start. I also follow the Cavaliers and Guardians and watch as many of their games as I can on TV. Closer to home, I’m also a big Ohio State Buckeye fan and love all the sports, both mens and womens, although my favorite is football. Rowanda graduated with an MBA from Ohio State and she sometimes enjoys watching games with me.

4. Always on the go! I keep myself busy when I’m not working. On weekends and in the evenings I can be found exercising, usually boxing, riding my bicycle, or lifting weights. If not that, then I’m likely at a sporting event, or at the gun range. I love my Smith and Wesson M & P 15 AR style rifle. But I usually take my handguns to the range. I hunt small game, such as rabbit and squirrel, and I want to go boar hunting soon.

My favorite food and dessert

I really like seafood. We have a concrete patio and pergola outside with a wood-burning fireplace and a charcoal grill. I grill a lot in summer and often cook crab, lobster, shrimp and various kinds of fish. We have a TV out there too, so I spend a lot of time in the pergola, especially at weekends. It’s a great place to watch the games with a beer in hand and the delicious smells from the grill wafting around. The fireplace keeps us warm right the way through the regular college football season. We take the TV back indoors after November.

We also like to eat out at least once every couple of weeks. As well as seafood, I also enjoy a really good steak. Hyde Park is our favorite restaurant for steaks, and we like to eat out at the Ocean Club too, for their excellent seafood. I’ve cut back on sugar and sweets over the years and don’t usually eat desserts at home, but I sometimes find it too hard to resist apple pie and vanilla ice cream after the main course at our favorite restaurants.

My favorite entertainment

I enjoy history documentaries on TV. One of my favorites was a series on The History Channel called ‘The Men Who Built America.’ There were separate episodes about men like Rockerfeller, JP Morgan and Henry Ford. A fictional series I’ve really enjoyed is Yellowstone. It’s a great story, but the series is well worth watching for the scenery alone, which is simply fantastic. Most of it was filmed in Utah for the first three seasons, and mostly in Montana for the next two seasons.

I read a lot of self-help books and have found many of them provide excellent guidance for living life well. Some of my favorites include ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen Covey, ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill, and ‘The Strangest Secret’ by Earl Nightingale. These works, along with ‘The Law of Attraction,’ a series of essays by different authors, teach how you can adjust your mindset to determine better outcomes in life. I also frequently read The Bible.

If I had just 60 seconds to share why I love working at Metro Parks, I’d say…

Working at Metro Parks is allowing me the opportunity to combine my love for the outdoors with my love of construction. It’s very rewarding to play an instrumental role in seeing projects through from beginning to end while being out in nature so much.

Trevor Williams was talking to Communications Coordinator, Virginia Gordon

What Planning and Design Manager, Steve Studenmund, says about Trevor

“Trevor is a great addition to our staff. His knowledge of construction methods and past experience in the field are a valuable asset to Metro Parks. He consistently contributes to Metro Parks success through his skills, reliability and positive attitude.”