"Our measure of success is how many gold medals we are winning," Randy Dean says of the Pettit’s main mission of providing an internationally ranked training site for speed and figure skaters, as well as hockey players.

When Randy Dean says "he’s on ice," he means it. As the new head of the Pettit National Ice Center in West Allis, he’s in charge of everything that hums, buzzes and blinks at the $13 million facility, in addition to promoting the place.

This adds up to be quite a job because the Pettit offers 97,000 square feet of ice. It has a 400-meter oval built for long track speed skating and two rinks for hockey, figure skating and short track speed skating, plus a 450-meter jogging track around the famous oval where dozens of world champions have trained over the years.

Dean has a long history with the Pettit, watching his daughter, Lindsay, skate with the Rinky-Dinks precision team at the center’s opening Dec. 31, 1992. "I subsequently spent a lot of time in the building with her," he laughs, looking back at her rehearsal and exhibition days there. "But I never dreamed that one day I’d be working here."

Pettit’s latest chief was an avid speed skater as a kid in Whitefish Bay, loving the rush of the wind in his face and the power drive of his legs. His athletic abilities carried him through high school and college sports to the United States Olympic handball team competing in 1976 in Montreal. Dean eventually played quarterback for the New York Giants football team from 1977 to 1979.

Many early mornings, you’ll find the Bayside resident still keeping in shape by playing basketball at the University School of Milwaukee, where he had been director of athletics and development before his Pettit appointment. Dean currently lives in Bayside with his black Labradors, Quincy and Tippy.

Dean emphasizes that the Pettit National Ice Center is for recreational skaters, as well, pointing out that families and school groups flock there to simply have fun on the ice. This makes for a great mix, Dean says, ensuring that the Pettit remains a viable, important athletic outlet both for Milwaukee and the worldwide skating community.