The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the nation’s leading advocate for parks and recreation, announced three additional members to its 2023-2024 Board of Directors. Board Chair Jesús Aguirre, CPRE, chief executive officer of Waterloo Greenway and Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO, welcome three new board members — all top leaders in their respective fields.
“We are thrilled with the addition of our newly appointed members, who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our skilled board,” said Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO. “We are excited to have their guidance and strategic direction, to continue to make a difference in communities, through parks and recreation, across the United States.”
NRPA’s three new Board members are:
- Samuel Assefa, MCP, Director, California's Governor's Office of Planning and Research
- Frederick “Rick” Atkins, Director, Parks and Recreation Department with the City of Round Rock, Texas
- Sean Johnson, Director, Parks and Recreation for the City of University Park, Texas
Assefa, Atkins, and Johnson join forces with the following diverse group of leaders who currently serve on the NRPA Board of Directors:
- Kathy Abbott, president and CEO, Boston Harbor Now
- Jesús Aguirre, CPRE, chief executive officer of Waterloo Greenway
- Rebecca Armstrong, co-founder and CEO, North
- AP Diaz, superintendent, Seattle Parks and Recreation
- Jose Felix Diaz, executive vice-president, Ballard Partners
- Lakita Frazier, CEO of women in parks and recreation
- Phil Ginsburg, general manager, San Francisco Recreation and Parks
- Mollie-Marsh Heine, chief development officer for Natural Resources Defense Council
- Susie Kuruvilla, executive director, Gurnee Park District
- Joanna Lombard, professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami School of Architecture and Miller School of Medicine
- Carolyn McKnight Fredd, CPRP, owner, Eagle Methods Management Consulting
- Joshua Medeiros, Ed. D, CPRP, AFO, superintendent of Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services, City of Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services
- Kathryn Ott Lovell, president and CEO, Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation Ben Page, director, Des Moines Park and Recreation Department
- Ben Page, Director of Park and Recreation, Des Moines Park and Recreation Department
- John Prue, CPRP, Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program analyst for Navy Region Mid-Atlantic
- Arnold L. Randall, general superintendent, Forest Preserve District of Cook County
- Cheredith Rhone, division manager of administration for City of Shreveport, Louisiana
- Breece Robertson, chief impact officer at One Tree Planted
- Kristine Stratton, president and CEO, National Recreation and Park Association (ex officio)
- Monica Hobbs Vinluan, senior program officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Tiffany White – LaPierre, CPRE, AFO, senior planner, MIG
- Dr. Philip Wu, (retired) physician consultant, Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region
NRPA’s governance structure reflects a Board composed of 15-30 individuals. The Board of Directors reflects NRPA’s membership, which includes professional and advocate leaders in the park and recreation movement; park and recreation agencies and organizations representing the public, private, voluntary, commercial and industrial sectors; firms supplying park and recreation products and services; and individuals and civic groups interested in the park, recreation, conservation, health and equity fields.
The 2023-2024 Board of Directors’ term began on October 9, 2023.