NRPA announces 2024-2025 board of directors

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) announced its 2024-2025 board of directors. Board Chair Jesús Aguirre and Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO, welcomed five new board members.

“We are so excited to welcome these new professionals to the NRPA board of directors,” said Stratton.  “With their insights, perspectives and experiences, we are confident in our ability to drive continued impact and change through the field of parks and recreation across the United States.”

NRPA’s five new board members are:

  • Christian Gabriel, FASLA, PLA, founder and creative director, Public Nature Projects
  • Stephanie Milewski, RLA, ASLA, senior project manager, Herbert, Rowland and Grubic, Inc. (HRG)
  • Shonnda Smith, MBA, executive director of public works, City of Mobile
  • Hashim Taylor, CPRP, director of parks and recreation, City of Cedar Rapids
  • Linden Weiswerda, data insights analyst, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

Gabriel, Milewski, Smith, Taylor and Weiswerda join forces with the following diverse group of leaders who currently serve on the NRPA Board of Directors:

Officers

Board Chair – Jesús Aguirre, CPRE, Tower Steel Services, previous director of parks and recreation for Washington, DC and Seattle

Board Chair Elect – Joshua Medeiros, Ed. D, CPRP, AFO, superintendent of parks, recreation, youth and community services, City of Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services

Treasurer – Susie Kuruvilla, CPA, CPRP, executive director, Gurnee Park District

Secretary – Dr. Philip Wu, (retired) physician consultant, Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region

Kristine Stratton, president and CEO, National Recreation and Park Association (ex officio board member)

Directors

Kathy Abbott, president and CEO, Boston Harbor Now

Rebecca Armstrong, CEO, NORTH

Samuel Assefa, director, California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research

Rick Atkins, director, City of Round Rock Parks and Recreation

Anthony-Paul, “AP” Diaz, superintendent, Seattle Parks and Recreation

Jose Felix Diaz, executive vice-president, Ballard Partners

Lakita Frazier, senior consultant, BerryDunn and CEO, Women in Parks and Recreation

Phil Ginsburg, general manager, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department

Monica Hobbs Vinluan, senior program officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Sean Johnson, director, City of University Park Parks and Recreation

Mollie Marsh-Heine, chief development officer Natural Resources Defense Council

Kathryn Ott Lovell, president and CEO, Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation

Ben Page, director, Des Moines Park and Recreation Department

John Prue, CPRP, Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program analyst, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic

Arnold L. Randall, executive director, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

Breece Robertson, strategic data consultant and author of “Protecting the Places We Love”

Tiffany White-LaPierre, CPRE, AFO, senior planner, MIG

The 2024–2025 Board of Directors’ term began on October 8, 2024.