By Steve Eldridge
STURGIS — After almost 28 years of working for the City of Sturgis, the last 18 as the director of the Doyle Center, Mike Liston has retired. His last official day on the job was Thursday, Jan. 15.
Starting with the Sturgis Parks and Recreation Department, Liston eventually took the helm at the Doyle, and cited Mike Hughes, former city manager, as being “Very instrumental in my taking the job as director. He added a lot to my success, and was always very supportive. He let me run it my way.” Liston also said that “Throughout the years, I’ve been very fortunate to have had a great staff to help the Doyle Center run as smoothly and as seamlessly as possible.”
According to Liston, the biggest challenge he faced as director came during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We were closed for nearly eight months, and some places were forced to go out of business because of that. We had a tremendous amount of support from our members and the surrounding community to make sure we’d still be open when things got back to normal,” Liston said.
Even after the facility reopened, Liston said there were a number of things to deal with, saying, “Social distancing, the spacing we had to put in place, and the wearing of masks was something we had to keep an eye on, but everyone was very cooperative.”
When the Doyle Center first opened, the original use was intended as an indoor tennis facility, but evolved into a basketball and volleyball venue. Moving forward, soccer, floor hockey, and flag football have become very popular options that have been made available. Another major addition has been the pickleball courts, something that has become a very popular activity for many folks who visit the Doyle Center. There are nine dedicated courts for that activity.
Among the achievements Liston is most proud of during his tenure, he mentioned that the two biggest are adding the softball complex and opening the 24-hour Iron Mill weight room. “I had two main goals. One was the fact that we needed a permanent spot for our weight room. We had three different areas at one point, but we needed a dedicated location. The Doyle now has that,” Liston said.
The new softball fields are located just down the street from the Doyle Center on the corner of North Franks Avenue and East Lafayette Road. It’s a four-diamond setup, complete with lights, restrooms and a concession stand. It also features plenty of parking space.
Under Liston’s direction, the Doyle Center has become a place that has gained very positive reviews from not only the members, but from visitors near and far.
“When Glen Oaks was renovating their gym, their volleyball team used the facility for their games. I heard from visiting coaches that they couldn’t believe a town the size of Sturgis had such a nice facility,” Liston said.
On the horizon, Liston envisions a new “Get Fit” challenge, which has been a very popular event, as well as the addition of outdoor Pickle Ball courts. “The Get Fit challenge has been put on hold, because there’s going to be a restructuring of that event. Hopefully it’ll come back better than ever,” Liston said.
Liston will also have a hand in the search for a new director.
“I was asked to be part of the process in finding someone to take my place. Obviously, it won’t be my decision to make, but this has been my baby for 18 years, so I’d like to see someone who will move in to the director position that will have a fresh set of eyes and new ideas, and a good vision of what’s needed to meet the needs of the members and the community,” Liston said. He also stated that “Increasing the membership will be a vital goal. Without memberships, a facility like the Doye can’t stay viable.”
Liston has been an employee of the City of Sturgis going on 30 years, and he commented that “After 25 years, I thought I’d like to make it to 30, which I did, and then be done. I just thought the timing was right for me to retire. I’ve got two boys that have moved out, and I still have a daughter in high school, so I’d like to enjoy some of the things with them that I know I’ve missed.” Not being the type that will just “lay around and do nothing,” Liston said he’s already been presented with a few new opportunities, of which he said, “I’m open to anything, really. Having the same responsibilities for so long, I’m actually looking for something different to be involved in.”
The Listons will also be celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, so retirement came, as he said, “at the right time.” He also commented that he’ll be spending more time on the golf course, and get a lot more riding done on his Harley Davidson motorcycle.
