Austin Founder Lions Club

Sarah Hensley, Director of Parks and Recreation Department

  • 09 Jun 2011
  • 11:45 AM - 12:59 PM
  • Wells Fargo Building, 400 W. 15th Street, 3rd floor Auditorium

Registration

  • There is no fee charged for a guest(s) visiting for the first time
  • Guests are charged a lunch fee of $15 for each visit after their first visit.
  • There is no fee charged for a guest visiting for the first time. Please present yourself as a guest at the registration table and we will gladly introduce you to the club.
Registration is closed

Sarah Hensley, Director
 Parks and Recreation Department
Introduction by Lion Gus Garcia

As the new PARD Director, Ms. Hensley is responsible for the overall operation and leadership of 571 full-time equivalent personnel, a $54 million operating budget and over $181 million in capital improvement projects.

Come join Ms. Hensley as she tells us about the plans of the PARD and it's potential impact to the economic and developmental future of Austin.

HISTORY

Today, the Parks and Recreation Department oversees more than 16,682 acres of land containing 206 parks, 12 preserves. The department currently maintains more than 74 miles of hike-and-bike trails; 117 miles of lake patrol; 172 athletic fields; and 90 playscapes. Other facilities include 20 recreation centers; 3 senior activity centers; 1 garden center; 1 nature and science; 1 art center; 4 party houses; 4 museums; 6 amphitheaters; 5 golf courses; 94 tennis courts; 50 swimming pools/splash pads and 2 beach-front facilities.

In and around the City are these thousands of acres of parks and hundreds of recreational opportunities.

In 2004, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department received the National Recreation and Park Association’s Gold Medal Award. The award given in partnership with the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration recognizes the best parks and recreation system in the nation. 2006 the Aquatics Division of the Austin Parks and Recreation Department received the National Recreation and Parks Association, National Aquatic Branch 2006 Excellence in Aquatic Award, in the Class I Award category (population over 650,000).

On September 25, 2007 the Austin Parks and Recreation Department became the first major metropolitan city in Texas, and one of seventy-three park and recreation agencies in the country to receive national accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies.

CAPRA accreditation is a remarkable accomplishment and helps to ensure a high level of accountability throughout the department and the efficient and effective delivery of park and recreation services to Austin's citizens.
Speaker's Bio:

Sarah Hensley, PARDSara is currently the Director of the Austin, Texas Parks and Recreation Department. Before Austin, Sara was the Director for the City of Phoenix, Arizona Parks and Recreation Department.

Along with solid leadership skills accumulated over almost two decades working in the parks and recreation field, she has a proven track record of getting results and a demonstrated commitment to community involvement, youth, and neighborhood services.
Please register before noon on Wednesday.
Speak with Bob or Peter to cancel a reservation before noon on Wednesday
Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software