In our Meet the Boards & Commissions series, MyRye.com will introduce readers to the boards and commissions of the City of Rye and the residents who run them. All volunteers, these residents give their time and expertise to keep our city running. The series is intended to bring visibility to what each board and commission does, its priorities and what might prompt a resident or another person or company to interact with the group.
We have made our best efforts to reach out to each board and commission chairperson directly or via City officials. If you are a board or commission chair and have not been contacted, or if you are a reader with feedback on this series, please get in touch with MyRye.com.
Meet the Recreation Commission and its Chairperson Rick McCabe.
Your Name: Rick McCabe
Board or Commission: Recreation Commission
Your role: Chairperson
MyRye.com: What is the charter for your Commission?
McCabe:
- We’re all fun and games and we take it very seriously!
- The Recreation Commission advises the City and Rye Recreation’s professional staff with regards to the regulation and use of recreation programs and facilities of the city, except as otherwise provided by the Council.
- It develops and recommends plans for future recreation programs and facilities and as well as reviewing and approving annual budget estimates and program/facility fees, prepared by the Superintendent of Recreation in consultation with the Commission, prior to the submission of such estimates to the City Manager.
- The nine-member commission, which meets monthly, is appointed by the Mayor with Council approval for three-year terms. The Chairman is designated by the Mayor.
Looking at 2026, what will be your top initiatives?
McCabe:
- Gagliardo Park is a versatile jewel of a park that is long overdue for attention and upgrades. The Commission is working with City staff, Gag’s neighbors, citizens around Rye and our youth sports user groups to identify park priorities, budgets and an action plan that gets things moving as soon as possible. Our May 14, 2026 commission meeting at the Damiano Center will be an update and feedback session on the refurbishment of Gagliardo Park. We hope park neighbors and people from around the city will attend.
- Rye Rec Seniors continues to grow in size and offerings. With more than 330 members, it’s a vibrant group that enhances the physical and mental well-being of its members. Rec staff and the Commission remain committed to finding new ways to serve our seniors through the program.
- Rec Park on Midland Avenue is our biggest facility serving a large and diverse group of citizens and programs. We will continue to look at how we can upgrade and evolve the property to best serve all of our user groups.
Would you be supportive of your meetings being broadcast and recorded by the City for public viewing?
McCabe: Yes. While our meetings work best when people participate in person and “Rye Residents Wishing to be Heard” is always our number one agenda item each month, broadcasting our meetings to a wider audience would only be a positive.
Are written agendas and written meeting minutes available?
McCabe: Yes, 2026 agendas and minutes are available on the commission page of the City website.
Are your meetings currently recorded?
McCabe: No.
What are your key performance indicators (KPIs)?
McCabe: Registration is a key measurement on how the Rec’s programs are serving the community. From seniors to our youngest participants, the professional staff gauges the popularity and satisfaction of these activities by targeting growth every year.
A few of the programs where year-over-year registration is part of success measurement: adult competitive leagues, school vacation programs, Rye Seniors, tennis/pickleball, our youth sports organizations (Little League, Rye Youth Lacrosse, Rye Youth Soccer, etc.) and our wildly popular summer camp for kids from pre-school to middle school.
Ensuring the financial model and goals the City has for Rye Rec remains the right one and advising the professional staff on how best to achieve those goals is a key metric as well.
Tell us about the residents or others you interact with at your Commission.
McCabe: It’s always important for the commission to hear from our neighbors around Rye about our parks, facilities and programs. Interested citizens attend regularly to discuss specific initiatives like park improvements, new program or facility ideas and upcoming events.
We host annual meetings with our youth sports user group leaders to ensure we’re clear on our mutual goals and to hear how the professional staff and the commission can support their mission. Recently, we’ve met with Rye Girls Softball, Rye Little League, Rye Youth Soccer, Rye Youth Basketball, Rye Youth Lacrosse and other key groups.
Among our most inspirational attendees are young people from Rye asking for the Commission and Rec staff’s approval to use one of our facilities for a charitable fundraiser or park project.
When was your Commission chartered by the City of Rye?
McCabe: The commission was chartered in 1964. Like the city’s other boards and commissions, our members have always been citizens with a strong interest in guiding the sports and lifestyle programs and facilities Rye is known for.
Looking back across 2025, what were your commission’s top achievements?
McCabe:
- The commission’s proudest accomplishment last year in partnership with talented City staff and Let The Kids Play was the opening of the newly-refurbished Nursery Field on Milton Road. The facility is a welcoming, best in class athletic complex that is providing our youth and high school teams and the neighborhood with a safe, dependable field that’s been playable every day this spring.
- Supporting our incredible Recreation Superintendent Erin Mantz and the fantastic work of the professional staff in their management and expansion of top-tier sports and recreation offerings such as our popular summer camps, vibrant senior programming, memorable holiday activities, food truck nights and cultural events like live music in the amphitheater.
- Working closely with citizens, the City, the school district and sport user groups to ensure the broadest access to our facilities and programs.
Tell us about you:
How long have you been in your current role?
McCabe: I joined the Recreation Commission in 2018 and became chair in 2024.
Who appointed you to this position, and what year were you appointed?
McCabe: Mayor Josh Cohn appointed me to the commission in 2018 and chair in 2024.
Besides yourself, who is the longest serving person on your commission?
McCabe: Lisa Dempsey is not only the longest-serving commissioner, but the most passionate advocate for recreation in our great city that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Thank you, Lisa!
When does your current appointed term expire?
McCabe: December 2027.
What is your day job?
McCabe: I’ve spent my career working in corporate communications and public relations across sports, media and entertainment. My duties have ranged from global brand campaigns to crisis communications to speechwriting to executive communications to leveraging major sports events such as the Olympics and Super Bowl for blue chip companies like American Express and Johnson & Johnson. Most recently, I lead corporate communications at CBS.
How much time does your role require in a typical month?
McCabe: About 10 hours. Our monthly meeting ranges from one to two hours and there’s usually an additional few hours per week on meetings, working with staff, researching other communities’ programs and facilities, etc.
If I took you to Jerry’s or Oakland Beach Deli for lunch this week, what would you order?
McCabe: I’d take you up on both! My Jerry’s order would be The Garnet with a spicy chicken cutlet on a roll and at Oakland Beach Deli I’m going with one of Pablo’s hot lunch plates with chicken/shrimp/steak over rice and vegetables.
Where do you live in Rye and how many years have you lived in the City?
McCabe: My family and I have lived in Hix Park for 14 years and I grew up on Walnut Street.
Thanks Rick!
Learn More:
2025 Profile
Main Commission page on the City Website
2026 Agendas
2026 Meeting Minutes
LinkedIn
Members of the Commission:
Rick McCabe, Chair 12-31-27 (term expires)
Lisa Dempsey 12-31-26
Kenneth Niejadlik 12-31-26
Dr. David Olarsch 12-31-28
Linda Ritacco 12-31-26
Louis Rollano 12-31-25
Thomas Walsh 12-31-27
Kristan Watson 12-31-26
Shelley Wolfson 12-31-27
