CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Park Board will turn to a longtime city of Cincinnati employee to lead Cincinnati Parks while the board continues its months-long search for a new permanent director.
What You Need To Know
- Longtime CRC employee Steve Pacella will take over as interim director of Cincinnati Parks
- Pacella will replace outgoing interim Dir. John E. Neyer, who has held the position for six months following the departure of former Dir. Kara Kish
- The Cincinnati Parks Board failed to find a permanent replacement for Kish during a multi-month search process
- Cincinnati Parks is a nationally ranked park system
The Board of Park Commissioners on Thursday voted to appoint longtime Cincinnati Recreation Committee (CRC) employee Steve Pacella as interim director of Cincinnati Parks, effective June 1.
A native Cincinnatian, Pacella comes to the Park Board from the CRC, where he currently serves as deputy director. He has 30 years of recreation leadership experience, the last 14 of which have been with CRC.
He previously served as CRC’s interim director while is conducted a national search for its current director, Daniel Betts.
Pacella previously announced plans to retire following the end of the year. However, he agreed to stay on to lead Cincinnati Parks while the board recruits and selects a permanent director. He also plans to stay on and assist with the transition process.
A timeline for that isn’t yet available.
Pacella will take over as interim for John E. Neyer, who agreed in December to take on the role for six months following the surprise resignation of former Dir. Kara Kish after two years in the role.
“On behalf of the entire board, we are extremely grateful to John for his leadership and willingness to support Cincinnati Parks and we are thrilled Steve Pacella has agreed to bring his skills and knowledge of the city of Cincinnati to Cincinnati Parks while our vetting process continues,” said Jim Goetz, president of the Cincinnati Board of Park Commissioners.
Cincinnati Parks is one of three city departments managed by an independent board, rather than the city manager. The board, not the city manager, hires parks employees, including the director.
The mayor appoints board members to defined terms.
The board oversees the budget and overall vision of Cincinnati Parks, while the director works side-by-side with leadership and staff on the day-to-day management of five regional parks, 70 neighborhood parks, 34 natural areas. The department also oversees the city’s urban forestry program, which plants and maintains trees in Cincinnati neighborhoods.
It’s been a rocky few years for Cincinnati Park Board since the retirement of longtime Dir. Willie Carden in 2017.
Cincinnati Parks operates nationally celebrated Smale Riverfront Park and the overall park system routinely ranks among the best in the country. But in the past five years, the department has struggled to find and keep a permanent leader.
Following Carden’s departure, Cincinnati Parks hired Wade Walcutt as its director in 2017. Walcutt, who came from North Carolina, was the one who brought Kish to Cincinnati to serve as his deputy director.
Kish was only with Cincinnati Parks for about half-a-year before a clash between Walcutt and the board led to Walcutt’s departure in Oct. 1, 2019. After her former boss’ resignation, Kish took over as interim director before ultimately earning the permanent job in January 2020.
She held the job for about six months.
After Kish’s resignation, the Cincinnati Park Board committed to a national search for a new director. Yet, despite a request for qualified candidates, the board never settled on a final set of candidates.
The Park Board turned to Neyer because of his extensive background with parks over the past two decades. He spent 12 years as a member of the Cincinnati Parks Foundation where he served a term as its board president.
Neyer stepped down to return his focus to his role as CEO of Neyer Management, a commercial property management company.
Bringing in Pacella will provide time to complete a “thorough vetting process for a permanent director,” according to a release from Cincinnati Parks.
The Cincinnati Parks Director Selection Committee is continuing to vet candidates. Neyer plans to remain an active member of that committee and Park Board’s Investment Committee.
“The Board is committed to being highly intentional in taking the time necessary to identify the best candidate to lead this complex, vital and esteemed organization on a permanent basis,” Goetz said.
Cincinnati Parks plans to post updates on the hiring process and public meetings on its website, www.cincinnatiparks.com.
