From Stark
Mayor Dan Pike has named James King of Alaska as the new city parks director. King formerly served as director of state parks for the state of Alaska.
Here are some background links on King. This one is a news report from the Juneau Empire announcing King’s 2007 appointment to his Alaska job. This one is a blog post that offers a letter from the Alaska Trails organization asking Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell to keep King in his state position, citing a long list of his accomplishments. Here is a link to an Alaska Trails newsletter explaining the circumstances of King’s departure.
And here is the press release from City Hall announcing King’s appointment to the $106,500-a-year position:
Bellingham — Mayor Dan Pike announced today (Monday, Oct. 3, 2011) that James King, a local government community development director and former parks director for the State of Alaska, has accepted the position of director of the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department.
Pike said he chose King from among several well-qualified candidates because of his extensive executive leadership experience, his ability to drive innovations and gain efficiencies, and his authentic passion for the role parks and recreation plays in the life of a community.
“He has been successful during boom and bust times, bringing people together, listening to their needs and interests, and finding creative ways to fund improvements and solve problems,” Pike said. “He has a genuine love of the outdoors, and, as the father of four, a deep commitment to creating legacies for future generations.”
King currently serves as the Community Development Director for the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, a community of 80,000, where he is responsible for land management, an ice arena, two swimming pools, 2,000 miles of trails and parks, five libraries and 60 employees.
In his four years with the State of Alaska, King was responsible for the oversight of 122 parks, 134 employees, and a $16 million capital and operating budget. King said under his direction, for the first time ever, the department reduced a $65 million backlog of deferred park and trail maintenance, working with community members around the state to make badly needed improvements to worn out facilities.
He also served for 10 years as executive director of Trail Mix, Inc., a Juneau-based non-profit that serves to coordinate trail planning, funding and improvements on more than 200 miles of trails managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Alaska State Parks and the City and Borough of Juneau.
“I have a great understanding of the importance of safe, clean, well-maintained recreational facilities, and their importance to the physical, mental and economic health of a community,” King said.
“Bellingham ’s commitment to create world-class parks and greenways is exciting and inspiring. I saw it and felt it everywhere, throughout my interactions with community members, City employees and City leaders, and I look forward to becoming part of it.”
King is a life-long volunteer, outdoor enthusiast and parks and trails user. He and his wife Chris have four children. He said he is excited to join such a professional and enthusiastic team of employees and volunteers, who are so committed to continuing the development of one of the best parks and greenways system in the world.
King holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Resource Management from the University of Montana (1994) and a Master of Science degree in Landscape Architecture from North Carolina State University (1997).
He will begin employment with the City of Bellingham on Nov. 1, 2011, at a salary of $106,500 per year.
Good election time publicity?
Gads John, Don’t you have another tune?
That comment is below you John – I am disappointed. Should Pike have left the job open for another month+ just to appear nonpolitical? He’s the CEO of our city and appears to be doing his job (very well I might add).
Me and jwatts on the same page, don’t happen often but suree did happen today!
When a politician is running for re-election, anything that he/she does a few weeks before the ballots come out is meant to do one thing, get him re-elected!
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
This man sounds like an excellent choice for the city of Bellingham, where the parks are such an important part of the city identity.
I’ve heard a few questions about hiring Mr. King, in the context of his past work for Sarah Palin. If I made decisions based on political consideration, Mr. King would not have been hired. However, among a field of five candidates for the position, he was pretty nearly a unanimous choice, not only for me, but for Parks employees, Parks and Greenways Boards members, Department Directors, and others in the process. Ask anyone involved in the process, and I’m confident they will give a positive reflection of their impression.
James King is someone who is a straight talker, and incorrigibly optimistic. When he said that Sarah Palin helped parks in Alaska, he was simply being honest, though deferring credit which should have probably gone more to him. He came into a system which had declining budgets for twenty years, and looked it. He convinced Palin to put more money into parks, and made significant improvements to the system as a result.
That’s the kind of person he is: someone who sees the opprotunity to solve problems, rolls up his sleeves, and gets to work. Every one of his past work references said they wish they had him back; several said they would specifically recruit him if his old job came open. That is the kind of quality individual I want working in our community, and as I stated earlier my opinion is shared by many, many others in the hiring process. Please give him a chance; come out to the meet and greets that will be set up, and see for yourself who he is.
An excellent response from The Honorable Mayor
and who would ever equate appointing a necessary executive to a vital position as electioneering?
And then by committee as well.
Where’s the man that wouldn’t work for the governor of his sate regardless of political affiliation?
Me mayor to pretend that there is not an election just around the corner where your political life be on the line is to also pretend that your primary interest is not that of re-election, BTW a politician using his office to benefit their re-election is neither wrong or unusual.
IMHO the reason that you became mayor is because the right of center broke your way in the last election and right now if you want to get re-elected that has to happen again.
So why not at this very late hour in this election appoint a past Sarah Palin appointee?
IMHO if you thought this to be something that was harmful to your re-election; Mr King no matter how qualified he may be would find his appointment delayed for just a few more weeks.
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!