Chattanooga has a new Parks and Outdoors Department head, three months after the previous administrator resigned less than a year into her tenure.
David Johnson, who is leaving his position as the Tennessee Parks and Schoolyards program manager for the Trust for Public Land — a national nonprofit focused on creating parks and urban public spaces — had his appointment by Mayor Tim Kelly announced Tuesday.
Johnson has prior experience working for the city. He served as assistant director of parks from 2014-17 and was an administrative support specialist from 2011-14. In his application for the parks administrator job, Johnson said a large portion of his work with the Trust for Public Land was similar to what he would be doing for the city if hired.
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“My breadth of experience in this field and familiarity with local partners and resources makes me highly qualified to take on the responsibility of creating an effective department that makes outdoor recreation the core of our city’s culture,” he wrote in the application.
His tenure comes just as the department faces a $1 million reduction in the city’s budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal year. Johnson will also oversee the completion of the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge renovation, which is set to be completed in September amid revelations that its initial $35 million price tag had ballooned to $52 million, according to a presentation given to the City Council in early May.
The majority of the repairs are being paid for using federal grant money. The city’s share is about $15 million.
Johnson’s background in developing parks in the Chattanooga area for the Trust for Public Land, most recently at East Side Elementary, and his previous work for the city satisfies concerns raised by some council members about Kelly’s previous hire.
Former Parks Administrator April Furth came to Chattanooga from Washington state with a background in community development and corporate management.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga Audubon Society launching Maclellan Island ecotours in June)
Council members Ron Elliott of Missionary Ridge and Chip Henderson of Lookout Valley told the Chattanooga Times Free Press after Furth’s departure that they would like the next administrator to be someone from Chattanooga with experience in the Parks Department or an equivalent agency.
“David is the perfect choice for this post because he’s a proven operator who walks in the door with the relationships, skills and muscle memory that will enable him to hit the ground running,” said an emailed statement attributed to Kelly. “Our parks, rivers and mountains, augmented by our National Park City initiative and our public-private partnerships, are a huge competitive advantage for Chattanooga.”
A resolution on Johnson’s appointment is scheduled to be voted on June 2 by the council.
Brian Smith, interim parks administrator, will return to his role as the department’s director of communications while simultaneously acting as interim deputy administrator until Johnson settles into the role, according to city spokesperson Stephanie Cepak.
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Contact growth and development reporter Raymon Troncoso rtroncoso@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6317.