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Kenneth J. Smithee
Kenneth (Ken) J.
Smithee has served the Recreation and Park profession for over 34 years.
Ken was a member of the Michigan Recreation and Park Association from
1967-1988. He was the first Director of the Genesee County Parks and
Recreation Commission, Flint, Michigan, starting in 1967 and retiring in
1988.
Ken was a visionary and
strongly believed in establishing close working relationships with both
public and private community organizations. As a result, areas such as
the Holloway Reservoir Regional Park, For-Mar Nature Preserve and
Arboretum, and Division Roadside Park become part of the Genesee County
Parks and Recreation System. Under his direction the Genesee County
Parks and Recreation Commission acquired over 10,000 acres of parkland.
Numerous facilities
were planned and constructed within his tenure. These facilities range
of recreation and park activities -- examples include beaches, trails,
campgrounds, the development of the Elba Equestrian Complex, Crossroads
Village and Huckleberry Railroad, the Ritchfield Park BMX track, the
Buell Lake Radio-Controlled Model Airplane Field, Mott Lake Youth Hostel
and others. Ken often attributed this success in the development of the
park system and recreation facilities to the cooperative relationships
between his office and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, DeWalters
and Mallory Charitable Trusts and the Flint Public Trust.
For 2 years Ken served
as Public Affairs Director/County Parks and Recreation Consultant for
the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). He was responsible
for preparing and presenting testimony on behalf of NRPA before
committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, liaison to
agencies and departments of the executive branch, and to national
organizations representing recreation, park, historic preservation, and
environmental issues.
His influence on our
profession and the professionals in our field is limitless. This
influence has been demonstrated again and again through his personal
commitment to our profession. He not only attended many MRPA and NRPA
conferences but was asked to make numerous presentation at these
conferences on a variety of topics as well as being involved with
several publications for the NRPA and more specifically the National
Association of Counties. In addition, he taught as an adjunct faculty
member at Michigan State University, Central Michigan and Mott Community
College .
Ken was actively
involved in both our state and national professional organizations. He
served as Second Vice President and Chair of the Legislative Committee
for MRPA; and at the national level, he was President, American Academy
for Park and Recreation Administration; President, Board of Trustees, (NRPA);
charter member, NRPA, Council on Accreditation (Colleges and
Universities); President, American Park and Recreation Society; and
President and Co-founder, National Association of County Parks and
Recreation Officials (NNACPRO).
Ken has received
numerous awards for his outstanding service to our profession. Some of
these prestigious awards include Fellow Award, MRPA; Distinguished
Fellow Award, American Park and Recreation Society; Fellow Award,
National Association of County Parks and Recreation Officials; National
Distinguished Professional Award, NRPA; and the renaming of the
Administration Building by the Genesee County, Michigan Parks and
Recreation Commission as the “Kenneth J. Smithee Administration
Building.”
Although these
prestigious awards are appreciated by Ken, he often stated “a major
reason for my professional success is the contributions made by my
exceptionally competent, hard working and professional staff.”
Prior to his
professional experience in Genesse County, Ken was the Director of the
Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department in Phoenix, Arizona
(1957-1965). Since his retirement (a matter of semantics) from the
Genesee County Park and Recreation Commission, he and his wife have
moved back to Phoenix where he continues to provide direction for
various organizations involved in the provision of park and recreation
services. For his untiring effort he was designated as a “Legend” of the
Arizona Parks and Recreation Association.
Kenneth J. Smithee a highly
respected professional known for his competence in establishing
cooperative relationships among public and private organizations and his
patience in solving problems and initiating new strategies that
succeeded.
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