Frayne Fischer receives a Key to the City from Jefferson City’s City Council and Mayor, Ron Fitzwater
After more than three decades of dedicated service, JC Parks is saying “see you later” to Frayne Fischer as he heads into retirement.
Frayne joined the City in 1995, starting on a landscaping and beautification crew before finding his niche in aquatics. For the past 30 years, he has been a steady and dependable presence behind the scenes at our community pools — helping ensure the water was clear, the chemicals were balanced, and everything was ready for families to dive into a safe, fun day.
His attention to detail and sense of ownership never went unnoticed. Early mornings, weekend checks, and off-season facility maintenance were all part of the care he brought to his role. But if you ask Frayne what mattered most, it wasn’t the maintenance — it was the memories.
“I loved seeing the kids and families enjoying themselves at the pool – hearing them laugh and enjoy their time together made every long day worth it,” he shared.
We are so grateful for Frayne’s 30 years and seven months of service to our community. The standard he set will continue to ripple through our department for years to come. Congratulations on your retirement, Frayne — and thank you for everything!
Leann Porrello serves as JC Parks’ Program Manager for Cultural Arts & Special Events, coordinating more than 40 seasonal events each year while also leading arts programming, public art initiatives, and special cultural projects across our community.
In her eight years with JC Parks, Leann has grown our event portfolio, strengthened partnerships with local artists, musicians, and vendors, and helped bring lasting public art — from murals to sculptures — into shared community spaces.
This year, she brings an added layer of expertise to her role after earning her Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) credential through the National Recreation and Park Association.
“I feel like in our profession there’s always room to grow with our education in how we implement new things,” Leann shared. “Being able to take this test from a national standpoint helps translate that education to a local impact. Because the scope is such a vast pool of knowledge, we can draw from that and apply it to our local community.”
The CPRP is a nationally recognized certification that reflects professional knowledge, experience, and a commitment to excellence in parks and recreation. To earn it, professionals must meet education and experience requirements and pass a comprehensive exam covering key areas such as programming, operations, finance, and leadership. Certification also requires ongoing continuing education, ensuring professionals stay current as the field evolves.
For our community, that means being served by someone dedicated to best practices, ethical leadership, and high-quality experiences.
“I would recommend others pursue their CPRP because there’s always something in there applicable to each of us,” Leann said. “Our field is always changing and growing, and when we keep up with that, we can better serve in each of our roles.”
With her passion for arts and events — and a continued commitment to growth — Leann is helping ensure that JC Parks remains creative, connected, and community-driven.
As Assistant Director of Parks and Golf, Bryan Braun helps lead the teams that keep Jefferson City’s parks, facilities, and golf operations running smoothly every single day.
Bryan oversees the crews responsible for parkland and facility care across the system — including management of Oak Hills Golf Center’s course and clubhouse, beautification and landscaping, turf and ballfield management, mechanics and fabrication, daily and long-term facility maintenance, and our newly reinstated construction crew. Each of these teams is made up of dedicated parks maintenance workers, senior parks maintenance workers, and crew leaders who work behind the scenes to serve our community.
“I think when our community gets out to see what all we truly offer and the opportunities we provide, sometimes they are surprised,” Bryan shared. “Many folks don’t realize how much we’re doing, how many opportunities we’re providing, and the facilities that we have.”
Bryan’s leadership balances both big-picture vision and day-to-day execution. From planning future improvements to responding to immediate maintenance needs, he works alongside his teams to ensure our parks and facilities remain safe, welcoming, and well cared for.
“Take advantage of what we have for you,” he shared, “We’ve got a lot to offer.”
This March, Bryan will take on a new opportunity for growth as a participant in the 2026 Leadership Class through the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber’s leadership program is designed to connect emerging leaders, strengthen community knowledge, and cultivate skills that positively impact our local community.
“As far as expectations go, I’m keeping an open mind and looking forward to learning and growth in this class,” he said.
Bryan sees the experience as an investment not only in himself, but in his team and the department as a whole.
“I think this will help us develop our team and improve on what we’re already doing well,” he continued. “I’m also looking at growing as a leader myself, and in that way also build up our supervisors with leadership skills that’ll strengthen our staff.”
