But before taking on any of those impressive roles, Pisani was already involved in another relationship, which has remained strong to this day.

"June 24, 1974—that's my anniversary date. I even had a different last name then," she says, remembering the day she was hired by the Saratoga Recreation Department, the city department she now directs.

Upon graduating from San José State University with a degree in recreation, Pisani got her feet wet as recreation supervisor of Morgan Hill, which at the time didn't even have a recreation department.

"Everything went over so well. It was a real confidence booster and a great way to start my career," recalls Pisani, who, among other things, organized and executed a circus day trip involving 13 busloads of participants.

She says she's always had an interest in people and events—and in the organization of both. "In high school I was very involved in many activities—student government, dances, things like that," she says.

Between leaving her Morgan Hill position and taking her Saratoga one, she considered various options, including being a cruise ship activities director. One of the reasons she nixed that idea was because she didn't want to leave her boyfriend at the time, Ron Pisani. It was a wise choice, she adds because her boyfriend would later become her husband and the father of her two daughters, Kelly, 22, and Kate, 19.

As a newlywed, she commuted to Saratoga from a townhouse in Willow Glen, but by the time Kelly was 6 months old the Pisanis had moved into the Saratoga residence that is still their home today.

"I always loved Saratoga. The schools are great, and I thought it would be ideal to live close to where I work," she says. "It's been convenient for me as a working mom. That's one of the things that's kept me here."

Originally, Pisani's commute took her to what was called the Saratoga Youth Center. It was renamed the Saratoga Community Center in 1975 and changed its focus to serving people of all ages. As headquarters of the Saratoga Recreation Department, the community center is the venue for many of the more than 200 classes, social programs and day camps the department offers on a quarterly basis.

Additional venues include the Saratoga Civic Theater; schools within the Saratoga Union School District and Los Gatos­Saratoga Joint Union High School District; and "every park in Saratoga that has restrooms."

"Working in recreation is great because I see how our programs build self-esteem in kids and promote cultural diversity," she says. And, she adds, since the Saratoga Senior Center is part of the community center campus, she sees older participants benefiting as well. "We help homebound seniors overcome loneliness by taking classes or going on trips that they'd probably never go on otherwise if they don't drive."

As if all her duties at the community center weren't enough, Pisani also supervises facility maintenance of various city-owned buildings, including city hall and the Saratoga Civic Theater. She's also excited about the civic center master plan, which—when finalized and approved—will add a gymnasium/multipurpose room to the city's recreation mix.

In the meantime, Pisani is keeping busy not only at work but at "play," which includes exercising, walking with friends and traveling. She's a new member of the Saratoga Rotary Club and a former longtime member of the Saratoga­Los Gatos chapter of the National Charity League, a mother-daughter philanthropic and cultural organization.

Although she says she dislikes drawing attention to herself, she is proud of the part she's played in making Saratoga a better place for recreation.