The City of Durango exudes western charm and is known for its outdoor lifestyle that with popular activities including miles of world-class skiing, hiking, rafting, horseback riding, mountain biking trails, and access to national parks, archeological sites, and gold mines to explore. This mountain town proudly serves a diverse community of approximately 19,000 neighbors in all facets of life, work, and recreation in our natural environment. Each day, a devoted workforce of approximately 350 full-time employees come together to ensure the needs of the community are met through municipal service.

Durango Parks and Recreation is committed to serving the community, and offering a wide array of programs, public spaces, and natural areas for the enjoyment of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities.  The Department is a recipient of the National Recreation and Park Association's highest honor "Gold Medal Award” and has national accreditation by NRPA’s Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA).  The Department provides a wide variety of services including the development and management of City Parks, Open Space, Trails, Forestry, Cemetery, Animas River, Lake Nighthorse, Community Special Events, Durango Community Recreation Center, Mason Center, Chapman Hill, Durango Gymnastics, and youth and adult recreation programs.  The Department also provides the maintenance and stewardship of 5,300 acres of parks and open space, approximately 11,000 trees are actively managed in the urban forest, and management of 96 miles of natural surface trails and 16 miles of hard surface trails.

The new Parks and Recreation Director will lead a Department with over 38 full-time and 500 part-time and seasonal employees and provide oversight to an annual operating budget of $7.9 million and capital funds of $10.5 million.  The ideal candidate shall have a strong commitment to developing high quality programs and dynamic public spaces, ensuring sustainable preservation of natural and cultural resources, establishing successful public-private partnerships, and collaborative relationships with citizen advocates, businesses, community stakeholders and non-profit groups that are passionate about parks and recreation.  It is key for the ideal candidate to have an enterprising mindset and the financial acumen to be a steward of the department’s resources and advocate the strategic vision of capital improvement program administration and long-range planning.  

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in recreation management, public administration, physical education, or a closely related field. Six (6) years of increasingly responsible experience in parks and recreation including three (3) years of administrative and supervisory responsibility. Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP) credentials and experience with CAPRA Accreditation are a huge plus!