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City’s new parks chief will start next weekSFlb
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Burke
YOUNGSTOWN
Almost five years since the city’s last director of park and recreation retired, his replacement starts March 26.
After interviewing the top seven candidates of the 56 who applied for the director’s job, the park and recreation commission selected Robert Burke of Newton Falls.
“He comes with a good background, working in a lot of youth programs, and he has grant-writing experience,” said Anthony Spano, chairman of the city’s park and recreation commission. “He has a lot of energy, and he’s real enthused to start. The commission is looking forward to working with him to improve the quality of life in Youngstown.”
Burke, 43, will be paid $55,000 annually in salary.
Burke has served as operations manager/overnight supervisor at the NorthEast Ohio Community Alternative Program, a correctional facility in Warren, and since October 2004, he’s been the director of the Newton Falls Community Center, a 15-hour-a-week job.
Also, he’s involved in Trumbull County and state umpire organizations, and has written grants for various sports organizations.
Burke ran the recreation department for the city of Rittman, near Wooster, for three years, before moving to Trumbull County in 2004. He graduated from the University of Toledo in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in recreation and leisure studies.
“I wanted to get back full time into recreation,” Burke said. “I love working with and helping people. Once the [Youngstown] job opened up, I thought it would be a great opportunity.”
Burke said his goals are to bring more recreation programs to Youngstown, and to fund park and recreation programs with grants.
Shortly after Joseph McRae’s abrupt retirement in May 2007, Jason Whitehead, then-chief of staff and secretary to the mayor, became the interim park and recreation director with no additional pay to his annual salary of $74,187. McRae made $70,794 annually during his last year on the job.
A week after Jay Williams resigned Aug. 1 as mayor to join President Barack Obama’s administration, new Mayor Charles Sammarone accepted Whitehead’s resignation.
The appointment of Burke is “long overdue,” Spano said.
City council and park and recreation commission members wanted to hire a director since McRae left but were persuaded by the Williams administration to wait because of the cost.
When Sammarone, then-council president, became mayor in August, with Williams’ resignation, he supported hiring a park and recreation director.