Longtime City Executive Angela Means Takes Up Reigns as Interim Parks Director
In news that confirms the city’s commitment to its parks and recreation services, Angela Means, a long-serving city executive, has been named Austin’s interim Parks Director. This appointment comes in the wake of the recent departure of previous director Kimberly McNeely. Serving the city government in various roles for over 25 years, Means brings a wealth of experience to the department.
Means and Her Mission
Quoted in a statement from Parks Department spokesperson Kanya Lyons, Means was described as “excited” to assume this new role and continue cultivating the department’s mission. The mission statement, according to the press release, aims to inspire the citizens of Austin “to learn, play, protect, and connect by creating diverse programs and experiences in sustainable natural spaces and public places”.
A Storied Career
The seasoned and revered executive reassumed her position within the Parks Department on May 28, just after the announcement of McNeely’s departure to serve as CEO of The Trail Conservancy nonprofit. Angela Means’s professional experience spans more than a quarter-century in local government administration. She has held multiple leadership roles in the areas of parks, code, development services, and housing departments across the city of Austin. Moreover, she boasts a commendable tenure of city finance and budgeting roles in San Diego. Her multidisciplinary background positions her perfectly for managing Austin’s diverse parks operations.
Parks Plan and Priorities
In her new role, Means is tasked with aligning the department’s operations with Austin’s long-range plan titled ‘Our Parks, Our Future’, which was adopted in 2019. Her primary focus will be channeled into ensuring effective community engagement and participation, sustainability and environmental stewardship, accessibility and inclusivity, infrastructure improvement and maintenance, and expanding recreational and educational programs. All these priorities are tailored to serve the overall goal of creating a vibrant, sustainable park system which she believes should reflect the community’s aspirations and promote a high quality of life for all residents.
Future Search for Parks Director
While Means has taken on the management of Austin’s parks system on an interim basis, the search for a permanent department head will be underway soon. The city human resources department has confirmed that the initial stages for a national recruitment process for the full-time Parks Director are in motion. Expectations are that the job posting will be made public shortly.
