The city of Plano's Parks and Recreation Department is preparing to say goodbye to two longtime employees who played a critical role in shaping the city's award-winning parks and trails system.

Parks and Recreation Director Amy Fortenberry and Parks Services Manager Jim Fox will retire at the end of June after decades of service to the department. Fox has been with the department for 34 years. Fortenberry started as a recreation specialist for the city in 1990.

The city has been conducting interviews to fill the positions internally and hope to have them filled soon, Fortenberry said.

Fox, who graduated from Michigan State, worked for the city of Dallas' Parks and Recreation Department before coming to Plano. He credited past leaders since the department's creation in 1968 for acquiring the land needed for growing the city's parks and trails system to what it is today.

"We've been really blessed with good leadership ... and we've been able to keep up with the maintenance and resources in order to stay abreast [of the growth]," Fox said. "They were the ones who could see the growth coming."

Fox said he has enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside some of Plano's memorable city leaders, including former city manager Bob Woodruff and and previous parks director Don Wendell.

"It was the culture that I came into," Fox said. "As Bob Woodruff used to say, 'If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.'"

Fortenberry began her career in Plano as a recreation specialist and was promoted to director in 2009 and said Fox's approachability and supportive nature have helped make the department successful.

The parks master plan has followed the city's comprehensive plan over the years, something Fortenberry said has helped keep its projects on track and in sync with the city's overall mission. Fortenberry and Fox said they will assist the department as it prepares for its 50th anniversary in 2018.

"The culture of the department is we just keep doing and improving; I don't think we want to stop," Fortenberry said. "Our department has shown such resilience in being adaptable during the recession. We show a real ability to change."