CITY OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
This is an exciting opportunity to live and work in one of the most progressive and energetic cities in America. Charleston is a special and unique city that has thoroughly preserved its heritage. It was the first city in the country to enact a preservation ordinance and Mayor Riley has made City parks a very high priority during his 30 years of service as Mayor of the City.
The City of Charleston is seeking a dedicated, responsive, and experienced individual for its Director of Parks to replace a long-time Director who has retired from the City. The ideal candidate will be a proven leader, manager and consensus builder, as well as someone who has a keen understanding of park acquisition, development and maintenance and management of the City of Charleston’s capital improvements program.
The ideal candidate for Director of Parks for the City of Charleston should be organized, innovative and committed to continuing the tradition of excellence. The successful candidate should be a visionary person, an effective leader and manager and should be a good people person.
Under the general direction of the Mayor, the new Director of Parks for the City of Charleston will be responsible for planning, developing, promoting and managing public parks, facilities and capital projects by performing the following duties personally or through subordinate supervisors.
The City of Charleston is located on the southeastern coast of South Carolina and it is the principal seaport for the state. First established in 1670, the settlement was moved to the peninsula formed by the convergence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers in 1680. The City had a land area of only 6.12 square miles and did not extend its corporate limits until 1960, when a large area west of the Ashley River was annexed. Currently, the City occupies 109.83 square miles spread over Charleston and Berkeley Counties and has eight square miles of vital, bustling downtown, which is home to the City’s central business district.
Charleston is the second largest city in South Carolina with an estimated 2008 population of 121,247 persons. As a result of both growth within the City and annexations, there has been a 47 percent increase in the population of the City since 1990.
C The Mayor is the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Charleston, which operates under a strong mayor form of government. The FY 2008 annual operating budget for the city is $147.5 million. There are 1660 city employees.
The Mission of the Department of Parks is “To sustain and enhance the natural, architectural and historical public resources of the City of Charleston and to protect and perpetuate the beauty of the City’s real property in order to provide a higher quality of life for all citizens and visitors of Charleston.”
The Department of Parks is responsible for the design, construction, maintenance and repair of The City’s new and existing parks, playgrounds, green spaces, facilities and buildings. The City currently owns and is responsible for 115 parks consisting of 1,200 acres of parks and open space and 190 buildings with a total of 3.5 million square feet of space. The Department of Parks is comprised of ten specialized divisions: Parks Administration, Grounds Maintenance, Horticulture, Urban Forestry, Keep Charleston Beautiful, General Maintenance, Electrical and Mechanical, Construction, Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Ballpark and Capital Projects.
The starting salary for the Director of Parks position for the City of Charleston will be market competitive, depending on the experience and qualifications of the selected individual. In addition, an excellent fringe benefit package will be provided to the successful candidate. Reasonable relocation expenses will also be paid for the selected candidate.
For additional information on this outstanding opportunity, please contact James L. Mercer, President/CEO, The Mercer Group, Inc. at 770-551-0403; mercer@mindspring.com.
Confidential resumes should be sent by close of business December 16, 2008, to James L. Mercer, President/CEO, The Mercer Group, Inc., 5579B Chamblee Dunwoody Road, #511, Atlanta, GA 30338. Position Open Until Filled. Voice: 770-551-0403; Fax: 770-399-9749. E-Mail: mercer@mindspring.com; Website: www.mercergroupinc.com.
The City of Charleston is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The City of Charleston does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, ethnic origin, sexual preference or handicapped status.
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