BATH — Steve Balboni, Bath’s director of parks and recreation, was honored Tuesday evening with the William V. Haskell Distinguished Professional of the Year Award at Maine’s Recreation and Park Association’s annual conference in Northport.

Balboni, who has led the Bath department since 2007, and prior to that served as deputy director for the Brunswick Recreation Department, was caught off guard by the award, although his staff said they certainly weren’t.

“I was totally surprised,” Balboni said Wednesday night by phone. “I was sitting there wondering who they were talking about.”

“It’s well-deserved,” Karyn Garofoli, assistant director of Bath Parks and Recreation, said today. “The only thing I could say is he deserves it every year. He seems to be involved in everything in our department, and our city. Without his involvement … I don’t know where we’d be. He knows how to motivate, he knows how to get things done. He’s committed to everything he takes on as a task.”

On Wednesday, though, Balboni credited his “great” staff for “making my job easier.”

“As I told them last night, it’s very humbling,” he said. “I have really good people to work with … we work very well as a team.”

Ann London, the department’s administrative assistant, said Balboni is equally committed to his own community of Bowdoinham, where he serves as a volunteer firefighter and coach.

“I’m so proud of him,” she said. “He’s an all-around great guy and so deserving of this award.”

 

bbrogan@timesrecord.com