Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources has seven divisions.
Sports Tourism, Facilities and Programs Supports the strategic development of community athletic programming and sports tourism opportunities; manages relationships with local sports organizations, event organizers, and other facility users to facilitate optimal use of PRNR sports facilities; oversees contractual partnerships with operators of premier PRNR venues including MLB stadiums, Nathan Benderson Park and Selby Aquatic Center; collaborates with Visit Sarasota County to attract and host sports tourism events to generate economic impact for Sarasota County; provides enhanced event support to ensure positive experiences for event organizers and attendees. Maintains all Sarasota County owned or operated athletic fields and regional sports complexes, including providing in-house field renovation, integrated pest management and irrigation service and expertise.
Recreation and Neighborhood Parks Provides exceptional programs, seasonal camps and special events; manages multiple recreation centers and park amenities; provides and maintains venues for community meetings, programming and events; and provides excellent customer service offering both residents and visitors ways to optimize their leisure time, health and wellness and experiences. Manages the maintenance and operations of neighborhood parks.
Beaches and Water Access Manages and protects beaches and water access parks, ensuring daily maintenance and safe, clean facilities including boat ramps, picnic areas, playgrounds, green spaces and trails. The division emphasizes natural resource management and preservation through habitat protection and improvements, shoreline stabilization and sustainable maintenance practices. Additionally, this division manages the development and placement of artificial reefs and waterway aids to navigation, assists with removal of derelict vessels and marine structures, and manages programs, reservations and special events at the beaches.
Parks Internal Operations Supports all PRNR divisions through preventive and corrective maintenance and projects. Manages repair and replacement of amenities within parks; manages mowing, landscape, and irrigation contracts; and performs various equipment operations within parks. Completes standards inspections in parks including playground safety inspections and is responsible for GIS asset data collection and management and lifecycle tracking and planning.
Natural Areas and Trails Preserves, protects, maintains and restores natural area parks, preserves, reserves and cultural resources while providing species and habitat management, public access, nature-based programming and events with recreation opportunities for all. Provides safe, clean and accessible natural areas and multi-use paved recreational trails and amenities for public use. Coordinates with Sarasota County Fire Department to provide wildland fire operations and wildfire mitigation for land management and community protection.
Park Planning and Development Works in conjunction with all divisions of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources overseeing the design and construction of new park facilities; developing park design concepts that meet the needs of the community, are compatible with the zoning and land development regulations, and are sustainable / functional facilities; reviewing proposed projects to ensure compliance with the county’s park design and construction requirements; providing planning services to aid in the development of the Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Regulations regarding park and open space standards. The division refers to and maintains consistency with the Parks Master Plan and facilitates the Land Acquisition and Management Program (LAMP). The LAMP includes both the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP) and the Neighborhood Parkland Acquisition Program (NPP) voter-approved and taxpayer-funded programs designed to acquire and protect natural lands and parklands.
Business Operations Works in conjunction with all divisions of Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources supporting the delivery of services by providing management of central processing including the system administration of software systems for facility reservations, program registrations, electronic access and lighting controls, and point of sale transactions; leads department procurement and operating budget activities; manages revenue producing campground, concessions, leases, agreements, and permit programs; oversees department-wide contract governance; develops and coordinates department-wide volunteer program; supports the financial contractual requirements associated with Major League Baseball agreements; and manages the contracts of Visit Sarasota County and Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County supporting the attraction of visitors resulting in favorable tourism impacts within Sarasota County. Manages Board Assignments, Administrative Assignments and Board Agenda items; manages all functions related to the facilitation and administration of two public advisory councils; develops, establishes and regularly reviews standard operational procedures and methods to ensure operational compliance; leads strategic planning coordination and ensures alignment with enterprise goals and objectives; coordinates long and short-range planning and benchmarking including outcomes and performance management. Manages and develops the creation and integrity of the department’s communications materials and brand; coordinates department-specific messaging and facilitates outreach and engagement efforts.