UPDATED: City Parks and Recreation Department Director finalist list

Meet and Greet event Wednesday, November 13, at 6 p.m.  at the Conley Guerrero Senior Center.

Robert Brent Dennis has withdrawn his name from consideration as a candidate for the City of Austin's Parks and Recreation Department Director. Given the highly qualified candidate pool, City Manager T.C. Broadnax has added Oscar Carmona to the list of finalists for the Parks and Recreation Department Director position.

Community members are invited to a Meet & Greet event featuring the three finalists for the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) Director position on Wednesday, November 13, at 6 p.m. at the Conley Guerrero Senior Center, 808 Nile St, Austin, TX 78702.  

Finalists for the position are (please see bios/additional information for each candidate below):  

• Jesús Aguirre 
• Oscar Carmona
• Angela Means 

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

Each finalist brings extensive skills and experience that align with Austin's strategic goals and will strive to enhance community engagement through the City's parks and recreation system. This event offers stakeholders an opportunity to meet the candidates, submit questions that could be included in a moderated discussion, and provide feedback that will be considered by City Manager Broadnax as he makes his decision.  

The event begins at 6 p.m. and doors will open to the public at 5:30 p.m.  Free parking will be provided. American Sign Language and Spanish interpretation services will be available at the event. If you need services in other languages, please request them by calling 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000 by Tuesday, November 12. 

Jesús Aguirre has over 25 years of experience in public and non-profit leadership in public education and in the parks and recreation field. He is passionate about creating vibrant and inclusive public spaces that help diverse communities thrive.  

As the leader of the parks and recreation departments in the District of Columbia and in Seattle, Aguirre led both agencies to develop new strategic visions and plans to better serve all residents. As part of the team in Washington D.C., he led an effort to successfully achieve national accreditation for the department. In Seattle, Aguirre was charged with 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.     

Aguirre served as the CEO of Waterloo Greenway, a nonprofit organization that operates and maintains a 35-acre urban park system in downtown Austin, Texas.  In that role, he 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.  Aguirre has an MBA from Arizona State University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He is an avid park user and a Certified Parks and Recreation Executive (CPRE). 

Oscar Carmona is a parks and recreation executive with over 25 years experience at the municipal, state and non-profit level. He is passionate about engaging the community when creating public spaces, facilities and programs so that they are not only dynamic, inviting and meet the needs of the community, but also balance the need of providing both recreational spaces and conservation areas.

Carmona most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Hermann Park Conservancy in Houston, TX where he developed operational standards for the park, created a budgeting system to better capture actual expenditures and developed a maintenance plan, budget and staffing plan, and concessions for a new $48M park expansion project.

Prior to Hermann Park Conservancy, Carmona served as the Director of the Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department where he navigated the Department through COVID and safely provided remote learning spaces for children, continuation of food programs for children and adults, childcare centers for city essential workers and summer camps. In addition, Carmona initiated partnership programs with the Carolina Panthers and the North Carolina Courage to bring fitness parks and soccer pitches to city parks at no cost to the city and led the charge in developing an Equity and Strategic Initiatives program and the largest park bond program in Raleigh's history which passed in 2022.

Carmona also served as the Assistant Director for the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department where he developed and launched the Park Ranger Program, the Urban Biologist Program and partnered with the Texas Trees Foundation to implement a park and neighborhood tree planting initiative in parts of the city that had low canopy coverage and were suffering from the heat island effect. In addition, Carmona partnered with the US Soccer Foundation to redevelop underutilized and dilapidated tennis courts across the city into mini soccer pitches funded by corporate donors.

Carmona holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Administration from Texas State University in San Marcos and a Master's of Public Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington. In addition, he is a Certified Parks and Recreation Executive (CPRE) and is also an Accreditation Visitor for the Commission for the Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) through the National Recreation and Park Association.

Angela Means is a seasoned executive in public administration and management, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Accounting), and a Master of Public Administration.  With over 25 years of local government administration experience, Means has excelled in executive leadership, operational oversight, financial management, and enhancing customer experiences.  Her expertise spans cross-departmental collaboration, optimizing business processes, enhancing customer experience, and fostering community engagement.    

Means currently serves as the Interim Director of the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department leading the department in its mission to inspire Austin to learn, play, protect, and connect by creating diverse programs and experiences in sustainable natural spaces and public places. Prior to this role, she held executive and leadership positions within various departments of the City of Austin, including Housing, Development Services, Austin Code, and the Austin Parks and Recreation Departments, where she amassed nearly a decade of experience. 

Mean's professional journey also includes significant contributions to the City of San Diego, where she held pivotal roles in the Department of Finance and the Office of the Independent Budget Analyst. Throughout her career, Means has been driven by a commitment to excellence, a dedication to public service, and a genuine passion for community development. She eagerly anticipates leveraging her skills and experience to collaborate with staff, stakeholders, and the community, promoting open dialogue and collaboration to drive positive change and sustainable growth, leading to impactful outcomes that benefit the community. 

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