Parks & Recreation Annual Report FY19-20

A Note from the Director

PARKS & RECREATION LEADERSHIP TEAM

Nasha McCray Director

Kobe Riley Deputy Director

City of Greensboro Parks & Recreation

Charles Jackson Community Recreation Services Division Manager

safe programs from Parks and Recreation, Greensboro Public Library and Museum, and Creative Greensboro, like the “Summer Stay- camp” kits children could enjoy at home. The department also converted the Greensboro Sportsplex into a shelter for persons experiencing homelessness during early stay- at-home orders. In response to nationwide calls for social and racial justice, we have unequivocally supported the City Manager’s review of policies and practices through an equity lens. When we say that we want an equitable park system, we mean that all people – regardless race, ethnicity, age, income level, or ability – must have access to Parks and Recreation programs, places, and spaces. We know that in the past three years, 70 percent of our renovation and construction funds have been spent in Greensboro’s “highest vulnerability” neighborhoods, as defned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index. We will continue to look at how we invest our resources to make sure we serve our whole community. The 2020-21 fscal year will be an eventful one. You can expect to see us investing in our facilities, enhancing our partnerships, creatively ofering in-person opportunities, transitioning programs online with your health and safety in mind, and making stronger connections within our department and with you – the community we serve! I would sincerely like to thank City Council, the Parks and Recreation Commission, our many community partners, staf, and residents of Greensboro for their unwavering support and trust in us as we venture into a new world of recreation. Without this support, these accomplishments and our ability to provide a model parks system for the enjoyment of all would not be possible.

This past year has been one of many frsts, from our nationally-recognized Adult Recess to the introduction of new facilities and unique programs. Other moments proved challenging, like adjusting how we serve our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite challenges, our Parks and Recreation team quickly adjusted. We became stronger leaders in the recreation feld, and have continued to make an impact throughout Greensboro. We have again been named a fnalist for the National Recreation and Park Association’s National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management! This is the highest honor in our feld, and acknowledges our excellence in long-range planning, resource management, and innovative approaches to developing outstanding services. Having previously received won the Gold Medal three times, we hope to earn the distinction in the upcoming year. Meanwhile, we started to implement our 20-year master plan, Plan2Play, and its goals to ENHANCE our existing assets, EXPAND our oferings through strengthened partnerships and transformative programs, and CONNECT neighborhoods throughout our city into a vibrant, healthy, and equitable park system. We have completed seven key projects, including developing our new comprehensive program catalog “Discover Greensboro,” converting an existing facility to a new active adult center, and adding a youth services programmer to increase opportunities for children from newborns to fve. These initiatives will change the way we serve the community for years to come. In the face of the pandemic, we quickly developed daily Facebook Live programs that were viewed 46,000 times in the frst four weeks. We helped launch GSO: Greensboro Summer Online, which promotes COVID-19

Ron McMillan Park Operations Division Manager

Shawna Tillery Planning & Project Development Division Manager

GREENSBORO CITY COUNCIL Nancy Vaughan Mayor Yvonne Johnson Mayor Pro Tem Marikay Abuzuaiter At Large Michelle Kennedy At Large Sharon Hightower District 1 Goldie Wells District 2 Justin Outling District 3 Nancy Hofmann District 4 Tammi Thurm District 5 PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION Justin Washington Chair Kelly Gaines Vice Chair Kim Alexander-Henderson Marsha Glazman Bob Kollar Emily Linden Vanessa Martin Blake Odum Jef Smith