NRPA Proud to Announce 2023-2024 Board of Directors

Ashburn, VA (September 19, 2023)

Organization welcomes four new members to governing body

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), the nation’s leading advocate for parks and recreation, is proud to announce its 2023-2024 Board of Directors. Board Chair Carolyn McKnight Fredd, CPRP, owner, Eagle Methods Management Consulting and Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO, welcome four new board members — all top leaders in their respective fields.

“The newly appointed board is fortunate to have individuals with extensive expertise in their respective fields, who bring invaluable insights and perspectives to NRPA,” said Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO.  “With their guidance and strategic direction, we are confident in our ability to elevate the field of parks and recreation to new heights and drive continued impact and change across the United States.”

NRPA’s four new Board members are:

  • AP Diaz, superintendent, Seattle Parks and Recreation
  • Ben Page, director, Des Moines Park and Recreation Department
  • Kathryn Ott Lovell, president and CEO, Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation
  • Tiffany White – LaPierre, CPRE, AFO, senior planner, MIG

Diaz, Page, Lovell and White join forces with the following diverse group of leaders who currently serve on the NRPA Board of Directors:

  • Michael Abbaté, FASLA, LEED AP, principal, Abbaté Designs
  • Kathy Abbott, president and CEO, Boston Harbor Now
  • Jesús Aguirre, CPRE, chief executive officer of Waterloo Greenway
  • Rebecca Armstrong, co-founder and CEO, North
  • Jose Felix Diaz, executive vice-president, Ballard Partners
  • Victor B. Dover, FAICP, CNU Fellow, LEED-AP, co-founder, Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning
  • Lakita Frazier, CEO of women in parks and recreation
  • Mollie-Marsh Heine, chief development officer for Natural Resources Defense Council
  • Susie Kuruvilla, executive director, Gurnee Park District
  • Joanna Lombard, professor, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami School of Architecture and Miller School of Medicine
  • Carolyn McKnight Fredd, CPRP, owner, Eagle Methods Management Consulting
  • Joshua Medeiros, Ed. D, CPRP, AFO, superintendent of Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services, City of Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services
  • John Prue, CPRP, Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program analyst for Navy Region Mid-Atlantic
  • Arnold L. Randall, general superintendent, Forest Preserve District of Cook County
  • Cheredith Rhone, division manager of administration for City of Shreveport, Louisiana
  • Breece Robertson, chief impact officer at One Tree Planted
  • Kristine Stratton, president and CEO, National Recreation and Park Association (ex officio)
  • Nonet Sykes, chief equity and inclusion officer, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
  • Xavier D. Urrutia, chancellor for Economic and Workforce Development and chief of staff to the chancellor for the Alamo Colleges District
  • Monica Hobbs Vinluan, senior program officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • Dr. Philip Wu, (retired) physician consultant, Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region

NRPA’s governance structure reflects a Board composed of 15-30 individuals. The Board of Directors reflects NRPA’s membership, which includes professional and advocate leaders in the park and recreation movement; park and recreation agencies and organizations representing the public, private, voluntary, commercial and industrial sectors; firms supplying park and recreation products and services; and individuals and civic groups interested in the park, recreation, conservation, health and equity fields.

The 2023-2024 Board of Directors’ term begins on October 9, 2023.

To learn more about the Board of Directors and NRPA’s leadership team, click here.

To learn more about NRPA, visit nrpa.org. 

 ###

About the National Recreation and Park Association

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. With more than 60,000 members, NRPA advances this mission by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals and advocates — the catalysts for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being. For more information, visit nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit parksandrecreation.org.