Immediate Release

Contact

June 25, 2002

Tom Manheim
(408) 277-5131

San José Appoints New Director of Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services

San José, CA --- City Manager Del Borgsdorf announced today the appointment of Sara Hensley as Director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services (PRNS) for the City of San José. Hensley was selected after an extensive nationwide search to fill this high-level position for the City.

Hensley has served the City of Virginia Beach, the largest City in Virginia, for the last eight years, most recently as the Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. The City of Virginia Beach has a $1 billion operating budget and serves 440,000 residents and 3.8 million tourists annually. It is similar to the City of San José in terms of its cultural diversity, extensive services offered, and the complex nature of its residents' needs.

Hensley is known for getting results. In Virginia Beach, she coordinated a number of significant projects to benefit the community including: garnering community support to set aside 15,000 acres of open space, implementing enhancements to more than 300 neighborhood parks and facilities, and doing a major revision of the city's Comprehensive Plan to better implement smart growth efforts and enhance quality of life.

Hensley also spearheaded development of national training facilities for the U.S. Field Hockey Association and led the efforts for Virginia Beach to be selected as a Magnet Center for Sports Strategy (with a focus on basic skills development, parent and coach training programs, and strategic recreational facilities planning) by the National Recreation and Park Association. She also has worked closely with school districts and non-profit organizations to achieve joint operating facilities and shared programs.

"Sara Hensley will bring to San José a strong focus on social and human services, along with solid leadership skills accumulated over almost two decades working in the parks and recreation field," said City Manager Del Borgsdorf.

"She has a proven track record of getting results and a demonstrated commitment to community involvement, youth, and neighborhood services," Borgsdorf said. "The City of San José will be fortunate to have her at the helm of one of its largest and most diverse departments, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services."

In her new role as Director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, Hensley will be responsible for overseeing a department with more than 850 employees and a budget of $49 million. She will be charged with oversight of an array of parks, facilities and programs including: more than 100 neighborhood parks, 19 community centers, 11 senior centers, 10 youth centers, the City's very successful Anti-Graffiti Program and its new Animal Services Program. The Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services also plays a key role in implementing the City's Strong Neighborhoods Initiative.

While in Virginia Beach, Hensley also served as the Department of Parks and Recreation's Acting Director and Recreation Administrator, heading up the Recreation Division. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Recreation for the Champaign Park District in Champaign, Illinois and worked for the Parks and Recreation Department in Austin, Texas. She holds a master's degree in education/recreation administration and a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Hensley will join the City in her new position as Director of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services on August 5, 2002. She replaces Mark Linder, who was appointed to the position of Assistant City Manager for the City of San José in December 2001.