New recreation leader on board

Creating more opportunities for residents to enjoy village parks tops the priority list for Grafton’s new parks and recreation director.

Megan Phalin recently took over the position, replacing longtime director John Safstrom, who retired.

Phalin said she is excited about her new job, which she began Oct. 12 after working for seven years as a recreation supervisor with the School District of Shorewood. 

“I’m always open to new ideas, and I want to meet the community’s needs,” she said. 

Phalin said one of her career goals was to become a municipal recreation director and that she heard about the Grafton opportunity while working with Safstrom on community concept committees.

“As I learned more about the community and everything it had to offer, I knew it would be a great fit for me,” she said.

“The parks and recreation field is pretty small. There’s only a handful of positions per department.”

Safstrom retired in late August after 28 years with the village. 

Phalin said she’s impressed with the village’s potential for more parks and outdoor recreational activities. She noted that Shorewood has about 1.5 square miles of available open space, while Grafton has more room despite having a similar-sized population. 

Phalin received a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. After graduating, she worked with older adults in Cedarburg as an activities coordinator at a skilled nursing facility.

She earned certification as a parks and recreation professional from the National Recreation and Parks Association.

Phalin said one of her immediate goals is to learn more about the Grafton community and its history. 

“I know Grafton has a very strong history, which the residents are very proud of,” she said. “I want to bring that to the forefront and continue making more opportunities for people to appreciate that history.”

The Grafton Village Board unanimously approved hiring Phalin in September. Village Administrator Jesse Thyes said she met all of the criteria to fill the position. 

“She checked all of the boxes of the primary responsibilities for our parks and recreation director,” Thyes said. “Throughout the interview process, she really exemplified professionalism and high energy that can be brought to this position, which is clearly needed with all the community events and ongoing programming.”

To address more ideas for what the village can offer, Phalin said, she wants to create surveys.    

“I want people to reach out to me if they have questions,” she said. “I want to get my feet wet in Grafton and see where that will lead.” 

Phalin currently lives in Wauwatosa but plans to consider moving her family to Grafton in the future. 

“Grafton is a great community, and I think this can be a great place to live. I understand a lot of people are moving here, and that makes a lot of sense because of what it has to offer,” she said.