Presenter/Contact
Presenter
Stacey Dicke, Parks and Recreation Director
Contact Info
(830) 221-4350 - sdicke@nbtexas.org
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SUBJECT:
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Presentation to Ken Wilson for award of the Texas Recreation and Park Society Central Region Professional of the Year.
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BACKGROUND / RATIONALE:
On November 2, 2017, Ken Wilson was presented with the Professional of the Year award for the Central Region from the Texas Recreation and Park Society.
Ken Wilson is the Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of New Braunfels. He has been in the position since 2011. He has served the profession for over 25 years in several communities including Burnet and Copperas Cove. Ken has been a member of TRAPS for virtually all his professional career, as well as an active membership in TAAF. Ken earned his Certified Public Manager designation for further development as a professional.
While in Burnet, Ken was an integral part of the opening of the city’s recreation and aquatics facility, the Galloway-Hammond Recreation Center in 2001. The center was a cutting-edge facility for the hill country area and continues to serve the community well.
Ken has been an active member of the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation for over 20 years. He has hosted many local, regional and state tournaments in the communities where he has worked.
Ken has been instrumental within the Central Region in strengthening relationships with our vendors and leveraging commercial support for the regional workshops. These ongoing relationships help to cover workshop expenses. He also encourages staff participation in the Maintenance Rodeo and is an enthusiastic cheerleader during competitions.
Ken’s legacy is best described in as a mentor and coach for many young professionals over the years. Ken has an innate ability to work with his staff to bring out the very best in the individual. He has helped to shape many outstanding leaders within his staff who have gone on to serve the Parks and Recreation field as leaders throughout the state.
Ken sees the very best in people. His encouraging approach, along with high standards and visionary leadership, has been an asset to the communities where he has served. In New Braunfels, he quickly transformed the park operations division in to a high performing and cohesive team. Ken recognizes the strengths of his team members and works to further develop individuals to progress their service to the department as well as their personal development.
Ken has served as the department contact for capital improvement projects in New Braunfels that add up to over $40 million in park system development and improvements. His cooperative attitude and attention to detail have contributed to these projects being successful. Some of the projects include construction of Fischer Park, development of Morningside Park, renovation of Landa Park and the Landa Park Golf Course and the current construction of a new $23 million recreation center.
Rarely does Ken miss an opportunity to recognize outstanding work by our staff as he graciously gives recognition and praise for a job well done. It is this servant leadership attitude that earned him the designation as the 2017 Central Region Professional of the Year.
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