Submitted by The City Of Olympia
Three finalists are in the running for Olympia’s Director of Parks, Arts and Recreation. Interested community members are invited to meet the candidates and share their observations with City Manager Steve Hall at an open house on Wednesday, October 2, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m., The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia Street NW, Room A. The three finalists are:
- Craig Bronzan, Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Brentwood, California
- David Fair, Director of Parks, Cemetery and Recreation, City of Post Falls, Idaho
- Paul Simmons, Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Cheney, Washington
Over 200 individuals applied for the position. “Olympia and our park system are well respected regionally and nationally as evidenced by the outstanding response to our recruitment,” said Hall in announcing the finalists. All of the finalists are career park and recreation professionals who have held numerous leadership positions in state and national associations.
- Craig Bronzan has served as Director of the Brentwood, California Parks and Recreation Department since its inception in 1998. Bronzan is also the co-author of several park and recreation resource manuals and publications. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from CSU-Fresno and received a Master of Public Administration from CSU-Stanislaus.
- David Fair has served as Director of the Post Falls, Idaho Parks and Recreation Department for 17 years. Fair is a Certified Parks & Recreation Professional who has a BA in Recreation and Park Administration from Washington State University, with a concentration in Business Management. He recently completed the National Recreation and Park Association’s Executive Development School.
- Paul Simmons has served as Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Cheney, Washington since April 2004. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Eastern Washington University. Simmons has a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Washington University with an emphasis in Community Recreation and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Olympia’s Director of Parks, Arts and Recreation manages nearly 1,000 acres of park land, 16 miles of trails, and more than 4 miles of waterfront. The Department has a robust public art program with 80+ pieces of public art. Recreation activities include youth camps, enrichment classes, adult and youth athletic programs, and outdoor recreation skill development. The Department has 37 full time and about 30 seasonal employees, and an annual operating budget of $5.1 million. The Parks, Arts and Recreation Director is hired by and reports to the City Manager and is a member of the City of Olympia Executive Leadership Team.
