photo by: City of Lawrence

Fire Chief Joe Hardy, left, and Parks, Recreation and Culture Director Lindsay Hart, right.

Two interim department leaders have now been appointed to permanent roles by Lawrence’s new city manager: Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical Chief Joe Hardy and Lawrence Parks, Recreation and Culture Director Lindsay Hart.

Both appointments were announced on Friday, and both interim leaders had been in their roles for a while. Hardy has been acting fire chief since December 2024, when the previous fire chief, Rich Llewellyn, resigned, and Hart has been interim director of Parks, Recreation and Culture since director Luis Ruiz left in October 2025.

According to the news release from the city announcing his hire, Hardy is a second-generation firefighter whose father also worked for LDCFM, and he is also a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. He has been with LDCFM for nearly 30 years. A seperate release said Hart, who also served as interim parks and rec director from December 2023 to May 2024, has 22 years of experience in municipal parks and recreation leadership.

City Manager Majed Al-Ghafry praised both department leaders in the city’s announcements.

“Chief Hardy’s appointment reflects a lifetime of service to the Lawrence community and a proven record of leadership within Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical,” Al-Ghafry said in the release. And he said Hart had shown “the steady leadership, operational expertise and collaborative approach needed to lead this department into the future.”

“Her appointment ensures continued stability for the team, which is one of my top priorities,” Al-Ghafry said.

The departments Hardy and Hart lead have both been undertaking big projects this year. Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical has been preparing for its Station 6 project in northwest Lawrence, and Parks, Recreation and Culture implemented its rec center and tournament spectator fees at the start of this year.

Hart said in her announcement that she looked forward to implementing the department’s master plan and building on her previous work as interim director.

“I’ve had the privilege of leading this department through two interim appointments, and those experiences have only strengthened my commitment to our staff, our community and the important work we do every day,” she said.

And Hardy, in his announcement, said he was “honored to continue leading this outstanding organization into the future.”

“I believe in preserving our traditions, strengthening our culture and providing the highest level of service to the community we are privileged to protect,” he said.