Mayor Elorza Appoints Wendy Nilsson as Parks + Recreation Superintendent
Mayor Jorge O. Elorza today announced that widely respected parks advocate and community organizer Wendy Nilsson will serve as Superintendent of the Providence Department of Parks + Recreation.
“I am pleased to welcome Wendy to her new role as Parks and Recreation Superintendent,” said Mayor Elorza. “Park space and public recreation are critical components of healthy urban communities and I know that Wendy will serve the City of Providence with distinction.”
Nilsson is a founder and Director of the Partnership for Providence Parks, a non-profit that brings community, business and City resources together to improve the City’s park system. Her previous experience includes stints with the Boston Community Centers and the Rhode Island Department of Education. In 2006, Nilsson founded the Friends of Brown Street Park, which has been cited as a national example of sustainable and innorvative urban park revitalization.
“I am thrilled to be appointed by Mayor Elorza to this position,” said Nilsson. “Our goal with Providence’s extensive parks and recreation system should be to develop it so that sports, recreation, arts, and play will engage and inspire everyone who lives in the City.”
Nilsson succeeds Bob McMahon, who retired earlier this year, as Superintendent. She holds a M.Ed. in Education Policy, specializing in Community education.