City Manager T.C. Broadnax announced Monday that he has selected Jesús Aguirre to lead the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Aguirre brings over 25 years of experience in parks and recreation, public and non-profit leadership, and public education. He has led the parks and recreation departments in the District of Columbia and Seattle, Washington, developing new strategic visions and charting impressive accomplishments in both.

“We are pleased to welcome Jesús Aguirre to the City of Austin family,” Broadnax said. “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."

The selection comes after a national search and an opportunity for the community to meet and hear from the three finalists for the position early this month.

The PARD Director oversees department operations, programs, facilities, and staff. The role demands strategic and visionary leadership that supports the long-term goals of the organization and the wider Austin community.

As part of the team in Washington D.C., Aguirre led an effort to successfully achieve national accreditation for the department. In Seattle, Aguirre was charged with the initial implementation of a new park district to infuse much-needed funding to improve service to community members, in addition to leading several initiatives to increase efficiency, access, equity and sustainability in the park system.

He also served as the Chief Executive Officer of Waterloo Greenway, a nonprofit organization that operates and maintains a 35-acre urban park system in downtown Austin.  In that role, Aguirre led the vision, strategy, and execution of the organization's mission to connect people, nature and culture, overseeing the fundraising, partnerships, programming and operations of the park.

Aguirre currently serves as chair of the board for the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) and the chair of the board of the Children and Nature Network (C&NN) and is a member of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration.

He holds a master’s degree in business administration from Arizona State University and a bachelor's degree in biology/pre-medicine from the University of Texas at Austin. Aguirre is an avid park user and a Certified Parks and Recreation Executive (CPRE) and said he’s excited to take on this new role in Austin.

“I’m honored to join the Austin PARD team as we work to inspire Austinites to connect, protect, learn and play,” Aguirre said. “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.”

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