The Oglethorpe County Recreation Department sought entry into the Georgia Recreation and Park Association in 1997, but needed a full-time director to apply. While many candidates expressed interest, one woman stood out to then part-time director Barbara Cabaniss.
Tina Fleming, a local mother, gymnastics coach and former flower shop owner, had been volunteering at the rec department for four years. She did so because of her three children, who all participated in various sports there.
“Everybody said, ‘Well, you’re already down here volunteering. You’re already doing all the work. Why don’t you put your name in the hat?’ And I put my name in the hat — never thinking I would get the job, and I did,” Fleming said.
From that moment on, Fleming devoted her career to parks and recreation. And now, after 30 years of service in Oglethorpe and Gwinnett counties, she retired in January, leaving a lasting impact on local sports.
“She has really big visions for things, and has no problem bringing people in to help her and bring those things to fruition,” said Melisa McCue, Fleming’s daughter.
Despite a limited budget, Fleming sought to expand the number of sports offered at the Oglethorpe County rec department, starting with football and sideline cheerleading.
She partnered with Oglethorpe County High School to secure field space and entered the county into the Vince Dooley Football League, a recreational league with nearby counties.
Some of Fleming’s most impactful projects were after-school and summer camp programs. After securing funding from the Childcare and Parent Services Program within the Department of Family and Children’s Services, she introduced after-school gymnastics and dance classes, along with a 10-week summer camp.
“It was great for the community to have some other opportunities besides sports here in Oglethorpe,” Fleming said. “These kids hadn’t even been out of Oglethorpe County and hadn't gotten to experience what a lot of other kids did. And so we were able to do that.”
Fleming also created work programs for teenagers, allowing them to volunteer on projects at the rec department or earn pay by assisting those programs and camps.
“They were thrilled, and I still hear from some of those kids,” she said. “I see some of those kids now, and they have kids, and I see them down at the rec department, and I think it made an impact on their lives.”
Her work in Oglethorpe County earned her a position in Gwinnett County as a recreation programmer in 2001. She later became the parks and recreation director in 2009 and was promoted to director of community service in 2016. She also served on several GRPA and Gwinnett community boards.
Fleming has received an outpouring of support from the Oglethorpe County community.
“When we had her retirement party, I sent out an email to people that she has worked with in Gwinnett and people around Oglethorpe County because I wanted to do a jar of memories,” McCue said. “They just kept pouring in. Sometimes you don’t get a good response from things like that, but people had so many things to say.”
Fleming said she plans to relax at her lake house during retirement and spend time with her grandchildren.
“I really do believe that parks and rec is the heartbeat of a community, and I hope while I was there, that was what I was able to create,” Fleming said.