We are proud to announce that our very own Director of Parks & Recreation Jill Nunes has been awarded the California Association of Recreation and Park Districts (CARPD) Outstanding District Employee Award. The award was presented during the CARPD Annual Conference on May 19, 2022.
Jill consistently demonstrates strong leadership skills, teamwork and her approach to coaching her staff and addressing issues and processes is thorough, thoughtful, respectful and professional. She has been instrumental in addressing challenges during COVID restrictions regarding concerns with Cordova Recreation & Park District (CRPD) systems and staff and looking for ways to improve the conditions. She is very passionate about the parks and recreation field which is demonstrated through her numerous accomplishments.
Jill has been a champion for change management which has been a key for success. She has led staff through numerous COVID restrictions and protected staff from potential lay-offs due to limited to no programs by having the full time Recreation staff be direct service providers, creating new programs and producing a Virtual Recreation Guide. She created a work team that communicates well through diverse and challenging work assignments. Jill is excellent at providing tools and resources to her staff for them to work efficiently, smarter and to achieve their goals. Specifically, she has trained staff on expectations to evaluate existing programs and to add new programs to fill service gaps, especially during the challenging years of the pandemic. She is also connecting staff from multiple departments to make cohesive decisions so there is a District-wide point of view on critical capital improvement projects.
In addition, Jill has been the leader of the District Fee Schedule and updates to the CRPD Board of Directors (Board). She developed and presented the District Fee Schedule program to the Board for their approval, which demonstrated her ability to initiate a process and see it to completion. Jill also presents monthly reports to the Board to discuss department highlights and great services provided by staff.
The Cordova Golf Course is one of these highlights. The improvements at the golf course, along with new leadership, has yielded remarkable results. “An exceptional leader, Jill perseveres under pressure and articulates a clear vision for success – going above and beyond in service to the District. I consider myself fortunate to be a part of her vision to imbue an aging golf course with new life and vitality, for future generations to enjoy,” said Cordova Golf Course Manager Chase Michelotti. “Daily, Jill works to empower CRPD’s vision, and embraces the mission to serve the needs of a diverse and growing community.” Due to the new management approach and practices, revenue is at an all-time high and customers are feeling a sense of belonging and care.
Jill has proved how valuable building connections and relationships are to the success of CRPD. She has done an exemplary job learning about the parks maintenance, facility maintenance and management needs of CRPD. To gain perspective into the Park Department, Jill worked full days with each division within the Parks Department. The experience was beneficial as she learned about our dedicated staff and how hard they work each day to keep CRPD parks beautiful. Jill enjoyed gaining insight into their needs and obstacles which has helped her give the Parks Department the support they need and deserve. Through this, Jill has earned ample respect and admiration from the Parks staff, leadership team and the Board. She will continue to learn the Parks team needs, look for ways to advocate and support those needs in the budget and help prioritize projects considering limited resources.
Jill has also formed strong relationships with partners and stakeholders. Her confidence and professional approach enable her to connect with a diverse, and sometimes challenging, audience. She continues to strengthen her relationships with agencies including counties, cities, tourism agencies, school districts and neighborhood associations. She has written and received Board approval for Joint Use Agreements with multiple school districts. Jill continually strives to be the best listener in the group or meeting while maintaining an openness to the content of the communication.
"I really appreciate Jill’s strong work ethic, honesty, real approach to work and support for new directions," said General Manager Patrick Larkin. "She has set the tone with professionalism and openness to change. Jill is an irreplaceable asset and a talented leader. "
Congratulations, Jill!