Job Description
The Centre Region Council of Governments (COG) of State College, Pennsylvania is seeking candidates for the position of Centre Region Parks and Recreation (CRPR) Director.
The Centre Region consists of six (6) local governments having a combined population of 94,900 residents covering a geographic area of approximately 150 square miles. It is in the beautiful Nittany Valley of Central Pennsylvania, the home of the University Park campus of The Pennsylvania State University. By many accounts, the Centre Region is one of the best places to live in the United States.
As a growing university community, the Centre Region offers unique local and fine dining restaurants, juried art festivals, Big-Ten sports, national touring groups and concerts, coffee shops and brew pubs, and theater attractions. In addition, there are nearby state parks and game lands, many mountain biking and hiking trails, sport facilities, local parks and playgrounds, and world class trout fishing streams.
The position reports to the COG Executive Director. The CRPR Director is the direct point of contact of the five participating municipalities. The State College Borough and the Townships of College, Ferguson, Harris, and Patton are served by the Centre Region Parks and Recreation agency. This means the Director must maintain and develop effective working relationships with the Centre Region Parks and Recreation Authority, the five municipal governing boards/councils and their managers, and many community groups. The Agency maintains approximately 800 acres of park land for its member municipalities, runs a vibrant Active Adult Center, and operates and maintains two swimming pools and the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center. The COG is also developing three regional parks totaling nearly 200 acres. The initial phase for each of the two of the regional parks are open and first phase of the third regional park will be completed this year as well as an expansion of facilities at the Nature Center.
The new Director should have experience leading an organization of similar complexity, and/or possess a wide range of experience across the various types of services, programs and facilities provided by the Centre Region Parks and Recreation. The breadth of services provided by Centre Region Parks and Recreation to its community is a differentiator in the eyes of community residents.
The ideal candidate will be able to combine vision, creativity, and initiative in the oversight and continuous improvement of the Centre Region Parks and Recreation agency. The successful candidate will possess the interpersonal skills and judgment necessary to create trust and influence a positive and inclusive culture when building relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including employees, elected officials, intergovernmental groups and community organizations (including Penn State University), advisory boards, and community residents. The successful candidate will be a strong communicator with skills in public speaking, budget presentations, capital project development and who can effectively delegate and empower employees to do their best to serve residents and visitors every day.
Reporting to the Executive Director of the COG, the Director of Parks and Recreation will administer policies and programs adopted by COG and the Parks and Recreation Authority. The Director’s work involves a broad range of management functions including supervision of 24 full-time, 2 part-time, and over 165 seasonal staff and volunteers; developing policies; developing and maintaining the agency’s eight budgets ($11.8 million); and coordinating all agency planning efforts related to strategic plans; master plans; feasibility studies; regional park development; and marketing and promotional efforts.
Education:
- Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in Parks and Recreation, Leisure Studies, Facility Management, Public Administration, Business, Finance, or a related field. Master’s degree is a plus.
Experience:
- Should possess at least 5-10 years of increasingly responsible administrative and directly related experience at a parks and recreation agency, park district, municipal department or related field with experience overseeing the management of a mid to large team of employees.
- Educational or experiential background in public administration, business or finance is preferred.
- Candidates must have excellent communication and people skills with an inclusive and collaborative management style
Licenses and Certifications:
- Must have valid Pennsylvania driver’s license (or ability to regularly travel among facilities)
- Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP) or Certified Parks and Recreation Executive (CPRE) designation is preferred or must be obtained within 1-2 year(s) of employment.
About Centre Region Council of Governments
The Centre Region Council of Governments (COG) is a voluntary association, established in 1969, of the State College Borough and the Townships of College, Ferguson, Halfmoon, Harris, and Patton. The COG’s service area is approximately 150 square miles with a population of 97,000 residents including 45,000 Penn State University students.
Area residents are joined economically, socially, and geographically as one community. The COG’s overriding goal is to provide public services in an economical way that improves the quality of life and protects the safety of Centre Region residents. It is the oldest and most successful COG in the Commonwealth, having celebrated 50 years of service in 2019. Many of the COG’s programs are models for other Pennsylvania communities and are regarded as best practices by the Commonwealth.
The Centre Region COG provides Fire Protection, Emergency Management, Code Administration, Parks and Recreation, Library, Planning and Refuse and Recycling services for the region.