Statement from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Regarding Department of Recreation and Parks

 

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

Mayor,

Baltimore City

250 City Hall « Baltimore Maryland 21202 « 410-396-3835 « Fax: 410-576-9425

Better Schools. Safer Streets. Stronger Neighborhoods.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

CONTACT

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

 

Ryan O’Doherty

(410)818-4269

ryan.odoherty@baltimorecity.gov 

 

 

 
Statement from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake regarding Department of Recreation and Parks


 

BALTIMORE, MD. (MARCH 13, 2012)-Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake released a statement regarding Director of Recreation of Parks, Mr. Gregory Bayor, being selected for a position in Tampa, Florida. Mr. Bayor has served as Director since April 2010. Mayor Rawlings-Blake announced that Mr. Bill Vondrasek will serve as Acting Director of the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP) effective April 6. A search process for a new permanent director is now underway.

“I would like to thank Mr. Bayor for his service to the citizens of Baltimore and for increasing staff morale in the department during the last two years,” Mayor Rawlings-Blake said. “Mr. Bayor has laid significant groundwork, creating new public-private partnerships with local businesses, foundations, and community organizations that will strengthen recreational opportunities for Baltimore going forward. We wish him well in his future endeavors.”

Mr. Vondrasek has served as Chief of Parks for BCRP since March of 2009, directing the activities of the Parks Bureau, which include the Forestry, Horticulture, and Park Maintenance divisions. Mr. Vondrasek managed an annual budget of $14 million with 130 full time staff, 50 part time staff, and mowing and tree service contractors.

From 2003 to 2009, Mr. Vondrasek was BCRP’s Chief Horticulturist, managing the activities of the Horticulture Division, which includes maintenance of city-wide display gardens, park and monument shrubbery, median strip plantings, community gardens, the 200-acre Cylburn Arboretum, and the Rawlings Conservatory. Mr. Vondrasek has previously served as a Development Officer for the Camden Children’s Garden in Camden, New Jersey and as manager for the Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Illinois. Mr. Vondrasek is a Member of the American Public Garden Association. He earned his BA in Mathematics at the University of Chicago in 1986 and MS in Public Horticulture Administration in 2000.
 

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