Robby Droessler recently assumed the role of Iola’s parks and cemetery superintendent. He ascended into the position after long-time parks and cemetery boss Berkley Kerr retired this summer. Want to feel old? Robby Droessler, Iola’s newly minted parks and cemetery superintendent, was having a recent conversation with a seasonal employee of his who helped with mowing during the summer before returning to school in the fall. The chat steered to Iola’s 2007 flood, which filled Riverside Park with 10 feet of floodwater and ultimately resulted in construction of a new swimming pool and a new community building. “He didn’t remember anything about it,” Droessler said. That’s when it clicked. The high-schooler was still in diapers when the flood occurred. “That’s making me feel old,” Droessler, 32, laughed. “Of course, he wouldn’t remember it.” DROESSLER ascended to the superintendent’s position after long-time parks and cemetery boss Berkley Kerr retired this summer. It marked the latest step up the city’s ladder for Droessler, who started with the city 12 years ago on the back of a trash truck. He did that for a little more than a year, before getting promoted to Iola’s street and alley department. Droessler enjoyed the work there, but after about five years, he saw an opening for an operator within the parks crew. “I figured I was looking for something different, a little change of scenery,” he recalled. Droessler proved to be a quick learner, particularly under Kerr, who recognized Droessler’s problem-solving abilities, but more importantly, his work ethic. Not long after that, Droessler was promoted to Kerr’s chief assistant. Then, after a couple of years of hinting he was about to retire, Kerr made it official near the end of 2023 that he was going to step down in 2024. What followed was a nine-month cram session to learn the ins and outs of the job. “Berkley trained me on every aspect he could think of, from budgeting, to navigating computers, shift and supervisory issues, and overseeing equipment.” Kerr stepped down June 30. Droessler was hired the next day. “I still had to go through the application process,” he noted, “But I think it showed to them that I was able to run a crew for about a year as the assistant. It was new to me then, but I took to it pretty quickly.” Now, it’s Droessler’s turn to dispense knowledge to what he describes as a “very green” crew. Of the six employees — including Droessler — four have been within the department for less than a year. Fortunately, Droessler has another long-time employee, Doug Clark, around to share institutional knowledge to his young crew. “I’m very happy with the crew we have,” he said. “Everybody is catching on very quickly. They have great motivation and a great work ethic.” AS PARKS and cemetery’s superintendent, Droessler is charged with maintaining more than 200 acres of city property, spread among Riverside, Cofachique, Meadowbrook, Cedarbrook and South Elm parks, a pair of disc golf courses and the Prairie Spirit Trail and Missouri Pacific walking and biking trails that run within Iola’s city limits. Droessler’s department also is responsible for preparation of grave sites at Highland and Old Iola cemeteries, and the mowing and weed eating at both properties, a Herculean task in itself. “It takes about two weeks to weedeat Highland Cemetery alone,” he notes. Because his seasonal employees have returned to school, it means Droessler also will join his crew on mowers and whatnot through the fall. “We’re definitely still in our busy season,” he said. Eventually, once fall and winter arrive and the grass grows dormant, the focus shifts more on maintenance on the city’s three community buildings — oh, he’s in charge of scheduling rentals of those, too — and repairing any equipment showing signs of stress. The crews shift gears to do things like paint projects during the winter, and trim trees along trails or within the park; straighten grave stones and reseed portions if necessary. “The list is endless,” he said. “And it only grows.” Droessler also works in league with Parks and Recreation Superintendent Jason Bauer on occasion, “and vice versa, if we need help,” he said. Droessler’s bond with Iola extends well beyond his 12 years as a city employee. His father, Bob Droessler, was a 30-year officer within the Iola Police Department before retiring in June, about a week and a half before Robby earned his latest promotion. “He started when I was 3 years old,” Droessler said, recalling his youth spent patrolling the ball diamond at the park. “Now my kids are down here,” he said. (Droessler has coached his son’s youth squad the past several summers, including as head coach in 2024.) “I love it here,” he said. “I was born and raised here. I’ve already told them at City Hall I’m looking to retire here. It’s a great place to work.”
Source: The Iola Register
