Recreation and Parks

615 South McClelland Street
Santa Maria, CA 93454

City's Public Art Tour webpage

Leisure Needs Assessment and Action Plan 2019
Parks Location Map
Final Appendix

ALEXANDER POSADA
Director of Recreation & Parks

City Phone: (805) 925-0951 ext. 2260
City Fax: (805) 925.4508
E-mail

EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT:

• Social Services, San Jose State University
• Social Work, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
• Public Administration, La Salle University
• Director of Recreation and Parks, City of Santa Maria
• Interim Recreation Superintendent, City of Santa Maria
• Recreation Supervisor, City of Santa Maria
• Facility Manager, City of Santa Maria
• Social Worker I, County of Santa Barbara
• Recreation Specialist, City of Santa Maria
• Recreation Specialist, Hayward Area District
• Teen Counselor, City of San Jose

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

• Kiwanis Club of Santa Maria
• United Way of the Central Coast
• Santa Maria Affiliate Santa Barbara Foundation
• Advisory Committee, Special Olympics Southern California
• North County American Red Cross Disaster Services
• American Red Cross

 DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

Responsible for the daily operations and management of the Recreation and Parks Department. Provide staff support to the City Manager's Office, City Council and Recreation and Parks Commission. Supervise a staff of 30 full-time and 32 permanent part-time, assigned to 5 major divisions: Parks, Landscape Districts, Urban Forest, Recreation, and Administration. Services are provided in the following areas: city parks (225+ acres), part of Los Flores Ranch Park, publicly managed trees (30,000+), street medians, storm basins and rights-of-way (45+ acres), Santa Maria Town Center landscaping and parking structures, 7 major recreation facilities offering specialty recreation classes and programs and support to community based recreation programs i.e., youth basketball, youth soccer, etc.   

2021-22 Goals and Objectives

1. Develop a comprehensive Landscape Maintenance District financial analysis with the goal of establishing long-term financial stability and bring it to the City Council for consideration.
2. Engage community members in the development of specific park programs and services needed in their neighborhoods; using the Community Leisure Needs Assessment as a guide, by holding Recreation and Parks Commission “Outreach Meetings” throughout the year in various neighborhoods.
3. Submit grant applications for funding construction and using existing City developer fee programs to construct new facilities.
4. Implement the goals set and adopted in the 2019 Community Leisure Needs Assessment and the goals of the Mayors’ Task Force on Youth Safety by re-engaging key community partners.
5. To improve the quality of life in the City’s neighborhoods and to address growing density, identify developable parcels of land for consideration as “pocket parks” or “parklets” where feasible.
6. Develop and present to the City Council an ordinance on street trees to enhance the urban forest and reduce City liability.
7. Integrate a funding mechanism for implementation of the Public Arts Master Plan goals and for landscape improvements into City’s Downtown Specific Plan and General Plan to allow for a more livable downtown experience.
8. Develop and integrate an inclusion plan for the offering of leisure programs and services to disenfranchised and hard-to-reach residents, and expand programming for seniors.
9. Apply City Ranger policy and procedures to align with the department’s mission.
10. Promote environmental sustainability, social engagement, and community pride in all Recreation programming offered by the Department, using the summer and after-school youth recreation programs as a delivery system.

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