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Cincinnati Parks Board Names New Director

kara kish
Courtesy of Cincinnati Parks
Kara Kish has been in parks and recreation administration for more than 20 years.

The acting Cincinnati Parks director now has the job full-time. Park Board Commissioners named Kara Kish as the permanent director at a meeting Thursday morning. Kish has been interim director since October, when Wade Walcutt announced his resignation. Kish will oversee 125 employees who maintain 5,000 acres of public park space.

"I am honored to work with a dynamic team and a passionate community who strive to create and maintain the best parks system in the country," Kish says in a press release. "The city of Cincinnati's parks system is storied and historic; I look forward to continuing this legacy representing one of the Queen City's brightest crown jewels."

Park Board President Brad Lindner says "Over the past few months it has become clear just how fortunate we as a Board are to have her experience, talents, and her pure passion for parks leading our efforts to operate and improve our system of parks, trails, and programs."

Kish was named deputy director of Cincinnati Parks in May 2019.

Bill Rinehart started his radio career as a disc jockey in 1990. In 1994, he made the jump into journalism and has been reporting and delivering news on the radio ever since.