PRL committee chairmanship just one of many hats Chris Ward wears

When you have a job to do, and you want it done right, give it to the busiest person you know. That’s what an old saying recommends.

And that’s probably just how Chris Ward was chosen to chair Maricopa’s Parks, Recreation and Libraries Advisory Committee, meeting once a month with other volunteers to provide suggestions, guidance and support for one of the city’s most visible and complex departments.

He’ll be wearing his new hat at least until November, when his current term expires, but he modestly downplays the contribution: “It only takes about 10 hours of my time a month,” he said.

That doesn’t seem like a lot of time, unless you combine it with some of the other things Ward is involved in: he’s the pastor of a local church, which he established. He’s one of seven chaplains who work closely with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, he’s a husband and father of two very active children, and he’s the sole proprietor of Chris Ward L.L.C, a multi-media firm specializing in training and presentations.

When he has spare time, Ward and his son often travel to Phoenix where they participate in Hwa Rang Do, a Korean martial arts discipline, in which Ward has achieved black belt status.

As a resident of Maricopa with his wife, Debbie, son Aaron, 11, and daughter Madison, 6, Ward is naturally interested in family amenities, and his participation in the PRL committee affords him an opportunity to help make some lasting changes.

“I’m very interested in seeing to it that the city provides a formal space for family dogs,” Ward said, and he cites the progress made to date on that issue.

As a police chaplain, Ward sometimes wears a uniform, similar to the ones deputies wear, but he is unarmed. “I’m there, as the other six are, to assist a deputy in death notification, counseling of victims and other interpersonal situations that some law enforcement officers either aren’t comfortable with or aren’t really trained to handle,” he said.

A “Navy brat” who was reared in a religious family, it’s no surprise that Ward would answer a call to establish a ministry in his chosen faith: the Calvary Chapel. Starting with an idea and a burning desire, he established the Maricopa chapel in 2005. It’s part of a worldwide “fellowship” of 1,000 non-denominational Calvary Chapels. Meeting at the high school every Sunday, the Maricopa congregation now numbers 70.

Moving from Annapolis, home of the U.S. Naval Academy, Ward became accustomed to the vicissitudes of his chosen profession at the time: radio programming and production. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales and has lived and worked in Chicago, Denver, Orange County, Calif. and Phoenix.

It was while he was in Phoenix that Ward worked with radio stations KPXQ and then KKNT. He and his wife were members of the Phoenix Calvary Chapel when he received the call to move on.

“We chose Maricopa for a lot of the same reasons other people our age moved here,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to make a fresh start, to get in on the ground floor and try to establish some new paths for our friends and neighbors.

“Of course, there will be minor setbacks and even a few aches and pains,” he said, “but we know this can be a great community, and we’re really in accord with the city’s plans for self-containment,” he said, an indirect reference to the belief that Maricopa’s reputation as a “bedroom community” is only short-lived.

A musician when he was younger, Ward took turns at the clarinet, tuba, baritone and keyboard. “I don’t play any more, for anyone,” he laughed. But he doesn’t try to diminish the fact that he minored in musical theater at ENMU and has had the lead or supporting roles in such productions as “Carousel,” and “Pajama Game.”