Blue Springs, Mo. – Dennis Dovel has been named as the new Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Blue Springs effective Tuesday, January 17. Steve Willman, operations manager, has been serving as interim director since long-time director Roscoe Righter retired in September 2011.
“Dennis is a proven parks and recreation professional with great experience,” said City Administrator Eric Johnson. “I am confident he will provide the vision and skills necessary to lead the Parks and Recreation Department established by Roscoe into its next chapter of excellence.”
As the director, Dovel will direct, plan and oversee the work of the Parks and Recreation Department, including 19 parks consisting of 816 acres of land and an annual budget of over five million dollars. In addition to the highly utilized and widely recognized parks system, Dennis will also serve as the liaison to the City’s Public Art Commission. The Parks & Recreation Department also manages the Buildings & Grounds Divisions for the City.
“I am very excited to be able to serve a vibrant and growing community like Blue Springs,” said Dovel. “Over the years, Blue Springs has created an excellent parks system and I look forward to working with the City Administrator, City Council, the Park Commission, staff, and many other community stake-holders to continue its tradition of high-quality parks and recreation services.”
Prior to accepting this position, Dovel served as the Director of Parks and Recreation Department for the City of Liberty, Mo. Over the course of his 23 year parks and recreation career, Dovel has served as the Sports Complex Manager for the City of Liberty, Mo., the Superintendant of Recreation for Jackson County, Mo., and held various recreation program coordinator roles.
Dovel is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism. He is a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional by the National Recreation and Park Association and a member of the National Recreation and Park Association and the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association.
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