Monterey County Names New Director of Parks and Recreation

The six month search for Monterey’s next Director of Parks and Recreation has concluded, with the county announcing the hiring of Los Angeles’ Mark Mariscal for the job.

Mariscal currently serves as a superintendent of operations for Los Angeles’ parks department, as well as president of the California Park and Recreation Society. He has been with the city for 22 years, including 14 years spent as Operations Manager. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of the Los Angeles Exposition Park Complex.

“It gives me the opportunity to manage to what I love,” Mariscal said of his new endeavor.

“Government can’t operate every public acre themselves,” he added. “It takes the community to join in, maybe some other organizations to join in.”

Mariscal will join a department which has been struggling with a budget shortfall. Its financial problems have been compounded by recent changes in leadership, following the departure of longtime director John Pinio.

In 2013, Mike Ferry took over the director position. By the following year he too had departed, leaving Assistant County Administrative Officer Nick Chiulos to act as interim director.

Mariscal will assume the position on March 23.

Read more about Monterey’s new Director of Parks and Recreation here.