Jesús Aguirre—the former head of parks departments in Washington, D.C., and Seattle; and CEO of Waterloo Greenway in Austin—has been chosen as the city's next parks director. He'll start the job in early 2025.

“I’m honored to join the Austin [Parks and Recreation Department] team as we work to inspire Austinites to connect, protect, learn and play,” Aguirre said in a statement. “Austin is at a pivotal moment of growth and change, and parks and recreation are essential to ensuring our communities remain healthy, vibrant and inclusive. I am excited to work with our community members to create spaces where everyone can thrive.”

The setup

The city began searching for a new parks director this year following the departure of former department head Kimberly McNeeley in the spring. The position has been held on an interim basis by Angela Means since then.

Recruitment for the PARD director position through consultant firm Raftelis closed mid-October and drew scores of applications both locally and from around the country. City Manager T.C. Broadnax named three finalists in early November, including Means and Aguirre, and the city hosted an open house with the candidates Nov. 13 before Broadnax's Nov. 25 selection of Aguirre.


“He brings with him a proven track record of success and an obvious passion and dedication for creating vibrant, inclusive public spaces that are accessible to everyone in the community," Broadnax said in a statement.

The details

Aguirre said he brings a passion for social justice and "impactful and inclusive park systems" in his application, and that he'd work to build public trust in the role. He highlighted past experience in parks, education and construction, including:
  • Turning around the "low morale and low public perception" in Washington's parks department
  • Improving the finances of Seattle's "underfunded" parks
  • Leading Waterloo Greenway's development of the new 1.5-mile park system along Waller Creek
  • Planning for parks upgrades nationwide while chairing the National Recreation and Parks Association's board of directors
"Austin has an identity rooted in a deep connection to nature and the outdoors, and in engaging programming and cultural events that bring us together and strengthen us as a community," he wrote. "As our city continues to grow and thrive, we must ensure that the benefits of this growth are enjoyed by all. We must build a parks and recreation system that is respected by our stakeholders, is inclusive and creates a sense of belonging for all the communities we serve."

Raftelis' job posting said the next Austin PARD director should be ready for work such as crafting a new vision plan for the city's park system, improving parks access citywide, overseeing thousands of acres of parkland acquisition, and collaborating with private organizations to further parkland development.