Regional Director Parks and Recreation 1 - Finger Lakes Region

The Mission

The mission of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is to provide safe and enjoyable recreational and interpretive opportunities for all New York State residents and visitors and to be responsible stewards of our valuable natural, historic and cultural resources.

The Organization:

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which were visited by 86 million people in 2025. The mission of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is to provide safe and enjoyable recreational and interpretive opportunities for all New York State residents and visitors and to be responsible stewards of our valuable natural, historic and cultural resources.

Duties Description:

The Finger Lakes Region of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation spans thirty facilities across the counties of Cayuga, Chemung, Cortland, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne and Yates. Facilities include 1,556 campsites & cabins, marinas, historic sites, golf courses and 232 miles of trails. The Finger Lakes Region includes Watkins Glen State Park, which is consistently voted one of the nation’s top-rated state parks in the nation. The region’s facilities welcomed more than 5 million visitors in 2025.

Please note the Regional Office located at Taughannock Falls State Park will be undergoing renovations beginning in 2027 that will be underway for approximately 18 months. Staff will be relocated to temporary office space located at Allan Treman State Park, which is about seven (7) minutes south of Taughannock Falls State Park. The duties of the Regional Director include but are not limited to:

• Manages and directs all park and site managers, and administrative and operational staff assigned to the Finger Lakes Region.
• Oversees and evaluates all regional operations.
• Lead the development of a rolling five-year capital and a five-year maintenance plans.
• Responsible for regional fiscal and expenditure planning, and budgeting.
• Represents the agency in dealings with local and other New York State agencies, professional societies, public interest groups, friends’ groups
• Provides advice and recommendations to the Commissioner and other executive staff on the formulation, implementation and evaluation of agency policies, capital projects, programs, procedures and priorities impacting the Finger Lakes Region.
• Assists with comprehensive and long-range planning through contacts with governmental agencies, municipalities, elected officials and national and community based not-for-profit organizations.
• Serves as the senior regional executive responsible for strategic leadership, coordination and performance of the agency’s Environmental Stewardship, Open Space Protection, Environmental Sustainability, and Natural Resource Management programs to ensure that the environmental stewardship program aligns with statewide policy and organizational priorities while fostering a culture that balances responsible recreation with the needs of the natural environment.
• Coordinates regional security concerns with the appropriate Park Police district or zone commander.
• Oversees an effective health, safety, and emergency management program for all locations within the Finger Lakes Region.
• Maintains an effective public relations program and social media presence for the region in collaboration with the Albany Bureau of Public Affairs.
• Directs the investigation of and response to complaints regarding regional operations and facilities and directs corrective actions to be taken when needed.

Minimum Qualifications Required for Appointment:

Bachelor’s degree or higher in park or recreation management, public administration, business administration, engineering, landscape architecture, architecture, forestry, environmental studies, environmental, natural or physical science, or a closely related field AND EITHER seven years of experience with a large and well-organized park and recreation system OR seven years of administrative experience which includes responsibility for organizing and directing a major program or group of programs. Two years of the experience must be at a managerial level. Substitution: an associate’s degree in a related field and two years of the required specialized experience may substitute for the bachelor’s degree.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Commitment and demonstrated experience in leading and inspiring staff to provide outstanding customer service.
• Demonstrated experience in leading a team of employees and the ability and willingness to recruit, motivate, recognize and train staff members.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to respectfully represent the interests of OPRHP with competency, credibility, and confidence when interacting with others outside the agency.
• The ability to appropriately set priorities, work under pressure, and meet tight deadlines while maintaining productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Deep-seated curiosity about the business of the agency and its operations, and commitment to excellence in governance.
• The ability to work strategically and collaboratively with intra-agency business units.
• Valid driver’s license