New Manager Takes Over At Mack Gaston Community Center
Wednesday, November 12th, 2025
Michael Robinson knows that he's got a tough act to follow. He started work this week as the new manager of the Mack Gaston Community Center, succeeding Tommy Pinson who retired in October after holding the role for 23 years.
"Very big shoes to fill, it's a very big role," Robinson said with a smile. "Because definitely the job is not just about being a director, (he made it) about being a mentor for the community, as well. To try to be a guiding light, a pillar of hope. So there are definitely big shoes to fill following Mr. Pinson."
Caption: Michael Robinson stands in one of the basketball gyms at the Mack Gaston Community Center where he is the new facility director
Robinson knows first-hand how Tommy Pinson managed the community center because he once served as Pinson's second-in-command. Robinson worked for the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department for nine years, the last four of which he was the assistant manager of the facility. His experience with the facility was one reason he stood out from a competitive field of applicants for the job. His love of Dalton was another. Robinson was born in Dalton and spent many summers here while growing up in North Carolina and Florida. He returned during his high school years, playing football at Northwest Whitfield High School.
"We had several people that I felt comfortable with being in the role. What made Michael stand out was his passion for this community. His passion for this job really shined through," said Steve Roberts, Dalton's Parks and Recreation Director. "It wasn't just about getting a job. It was about getting this job. As we talked, we saw his grasp of the history of this building, and this area. Having somebody in this role that really appreciated what this building is, the history of the building, the history of how it came about was just important to me."
Since leaving the Parks and Recreation Department in 2015, Robinson has worked in private business, most recently serving as a contract business analyst and project coordinator in information technology. The opportunity to return to the Mack Gaston Center was too tempting to turn down for him.
"You want to work with a community that's given you so much, you know? I was born, actually, about a block, 2 blocks from here," Robinson said, sitting in his new office at the community center. "My father played little league football here under Mr. Anderson, on the old dirt field out there...I spent a lot of time at the community center as a youth during the summers. This was an opportunity to, give back to the community that's given me so much."
Robinson's job at the Mack Gaston Center will involve a lot more than simply making sure the lights are on and that the gyms are ready for play. With so many people using the facility on a daily basis, including hundreds of young people, the job involves a lot of teaching and a lot of mentorship. During Tommy Pinson's years running the community center, he became a community leader and helped a lot of kids in Dalton grow up.
"Any programs that Mr. Pinson had, we want to keep those going," Robinson said. "We've had all kind of different types of programs from tutoring to reading programs, book club programs, to feeding the hungry. We have had food drives for Thanksgiving. We do something during Christmas. So I've worked with a lot of those programs over the years, and I'm quite familiar with them."
"I'm really happy with the direction that the facility is going in right now," Robinson continued. "You know, we have a beautiful facility. We have a lot of participants, a lot of people from the community come in. We already have a lot of programs with people involved. Our main thing is that we want to make sure that we maintain what we have. We want to provide good customer service. And, you know, of course there will be improvements as we go along... but as far as like everything that I see right now, I like the direction where we're going at the Mack Gaston Community Center."
