NRPA Announces 2019–2020 Board of Directors

(October 17, 2019)

NRPA welcomes new board member, Philip Wu, MD

Photo of Philip Wu, MD

Ashburn, Va. (Oct. 17, 2019) — The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is proud to announce its new 2019–2020 Board of Directors. New to the board is Philip Wu, MD, a retired pediatric obesity specialist from Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region. Wu, who will serve a three-year term, was welcomed to the board during the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.  

“On behalf of the entire organization, I want to welcome Dr. Philip Wu to the NRPA Board of Directors,” said Kristine Stratton, NRPA president and CEO. “His expertise and passion for childhood obesity prevention and healthy living for all is a perfect fit for our organization. We look forward to further deepening our work in these areas with his partnership.” 

A pediatrician with Kaiser since 1997, Wu’s current work focuses on broadening the scope of healthcare to include collaboration with community organizations and businesses, including parks and recreation, to address healthcare disparities. He serves on several community boards, including the Northwest Health Foundation, Oregon Oral Health Coalition, Outside In, The Intertwine Alliance and the Oregon Environmental Council. Wu has a special interest in transportation as a “social determinant” and has participated on the transportation committee of the Westside Economic Alliance, the Washington County Transportation Futures Study project and Oregon Department of Transportation’s Transportation Options Policy Advisory Committee. 

Wu joins forces with the following group of professionals and advocates who currently serve on the NRPA Board of Directors:

  • Michael Abbaté, FASLA, former director, Portland Parks & Recreation
  • Jesús Aguirre, CPRE, superintendent, Seattle Parks and Recreation  
  • Hayden Brooks, chair, American Realty Analysts
  • Kong Chang, community recreation specialist, City of Saint Paul Parks & Recreation
  • Kevin Coyle, JD, vice president of education and training, National Wildlife Federation
  • Jose Felix Diaz, executive vice-president, Ballard Partners
  • Victor Dover, co-founder, Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning
  • Richard Gulley, member, San Diego Park and Recreation Board
  • Jack Kardys, president, J. Kardys Strategies, LLC
  • Michael P. Kelly, general superintendent and CEO, Chicago Park District
  • Karen Bates Kress, park advocate
  • Joanna Lombard, professor, University of Miami School of Architecture and Department of Public Health at the Miller School of Medicine
  • Carolyn McKnight, CPRP, former superintendent, Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC)
  • Joshua Medeiros, Ed. D, CPRP, AFO, superintendent, City of Bristol Parks and Recreation
  • Herman Parker, former director, City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Department
  • Ian Proud, market research and inclusive play manager, PlayPower, Inc.
  • Nonet Sykes, chief equity and inclusion officer, Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.
  • Xavier Urrutia, chief of staff to the chancellor, Alamo Colleges District
  • Greg Weitzel, MS, CPRP, director of parks and recreation, City of Las Vegas, Nevada

NRPA’s governance structure reflects a Board composed of 15–30 individuals. Board members are representative of NRPA’s membership, which includes leaders in the park, recreation and conservation movement; park and recreation professionals and advocates; and individuals from relevant corporations, partner organizations, and volunteer and civic groups.

To learn more about NRPA’s leadership team, click here.

To learn more about NRPA, visit www.nrpa.org.

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About the National Recreation and Park Association
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people have access to parks and recreation for health, conservation and social equity. Through its network of 60,000 recreation and park professionals and advocates, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.