February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 33

Thank You to Our 30 Under 30 Scoring Committee
Neelay Bhatt
Next Practice Partners
Eddie Campos
Mountain Recreation (CO)
Chamreece Diggs, CPRP
Greensboro Parks and
Recreation Department (NC)
Ryan Eaker
City of Austin (TX)
Angel Ferrara, AFO
Unified Government of
Wyandotte County (KS)
Roslyn Johnson, CPRP
Baltimore County Recreation
and Parks (MD)
Sarah Lisiecki
BCI Burke
John Penn
City of Douglasville (GA)
Paula Sliefert
The Toro Company
Shonnda Smith, AFO
City of Mobile (AL)
Anne-Marie Spencer
PlayCore
John Stutzman, CPRP
City of Golden Valley (MN)
Kevin Witte, CPRP
City of Auburn (WA)
Kimberly Zygmant, CPRE,
AFO
City of Victoria (TX)
Jacob Agee, 28
Director, Floyd County Recreation Department (VA)
In March 2019, Jacob Agee, CPRP, joined the Floyd County (Virginia) Parks and Recreation Authority
as director. At the time, the authority endured severe funding issues, lacked community support, faced
facility dilapidation and more. Agee recognized these deficiencies and collaborated with county administration
to take the authority on as a recognized county department. In August 2019, Floyd County
Recreation Department was formed. Agee oversaw the renovation of the recreation park: replacing the
playing surfaces with athletic turf and infield mix, installing a net/block backstop system, and
putting in concrete sidewalks, pathways and driveways around the park. He also brought
adult softball, basketball and volleyball back to the county.
Myia Ashmore, 30
Stewardship Area Manager, Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces (FL)
As stewardship area manager for Tropical Park, a 275-acre jewel of the Miami-Dade County Parks system,
Myia Ashmore's creative business innovations have increased revenues more than $80,000 from the
previous highest year. In addition, her contributions to the park's special events programming resulted
in improved community engagement and increased public knowledge of how parks make
communities stronger, more vibrant and more resilient. What's more, her leadership streamlined
operations and strategic planning for this high-impact, area-wide park, including bringing in new
community partnerships and innovative special events, in a way that enhances the visibility and
role of park professionals at a community awareness level.
Ellen Bashor, 29
Outdoor Learning Coordinator, City of Prescott/Prescott Unified School District (AZ)
During spring 2020, Ellen Bashor obtained grants, donations and partnerships, and revived an
intergovernmental agreement between Prescott (Arizona) Unified School District and the City
of Prescott Recreation Department. She then transformed an older, underutilized open space,
the Community Nature Center - adding outdoor classrooms, coordinating resources, and
enrolling high-need public school students in an outdoor learning program. Her initiative and
the nature center continued to grow, now having served more than 3,000 students and amassing
program/event total attendance of more than 20,790 students, families and community members.
Bashor also has raised more than $250,000 in grants, gifts and in-kind donations.
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | FEBR U AR Y 2 0 2 3
| Parks & Recreation
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February 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2023 - Parks & Recreation
