Derek Johnson will step down as the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District (IVRPD) general manager on March 25, leaving the district’s board of directors to hire his replacement.

Don Martin, a consultant hired to help the board find a new general manager, will temporarily replace Johnson as manager during the interim, which is expected to last approximately six weeks. Eric Cummings, vice-president of the board, said Johnson has been the IVRPD general manager for eight years and will be difficult to replace.

“Derek Johnson is a wonderful general manager,” Cummings said. “He is very likeable, and works well with everyone. We are really going to miss him.”

Cummings, a fourth-year English major, said the board is looking for someone with professional management experience who has the ability to adapt to the unique situation in I.V.

“I.V. is diverse, and the general manager will need to have the ability to interact with a variety of people, from college students to business owners,” Cummings said.

According to the IVRPD website, the general manager’s duties are to help the IVRPD board of directors determine and implement policies in I.V., and to oversee the development of parks, facilities, and recreational activities for I.V. residents.

IVRPD Director Logan Green, a fifth-year business economics major, said the board implements policies and projects in I.V. and makes sure the IVRPD runs smoothly, while the general manager supervises the daily activity of the district office. Green said the new general manager will be appointed by a majority vote from the five-member board.

The board placed advertisements in newspapers, trade magazines, and on employment websites for the position after announcing the vacant position at their meeting on Feb. 2. Cummings said the board has received a handful of promising applicants but is still discussing the process to select a new general manager.