Scott Bangle, CPRP, retired in 2019 as the Parks
Director/General Manager for Riverside County, CA. Riverside County is the 10th
most populous county in the United States and spans 7,200 sq. miles. Scott was responsible for the Riverside
County Regional Park and Open-Space District (District) and the Riverside
County Parks Department, which includes 71,000 acres of developed parks and
natural open areas including regional and community parks, wildlife reserves,
aquatic facilities, trails, sports parks, nature centers and historic
sites. The District was the first
special district in California to receive national accreditation through CAPRA.
Scott began his career as a seasonal employee with San Bernardino
County Regional Parks. Scott’s diverse
experience includes Local, County, Special District, and commercial
recreation. Scott holds a Master’s
degree in Recreation, Sports and Tourism from University of Illinois, a Bachelor’s
degree in workforce education and development from Southern Illinois University
and a Bachelor’s degree in management from California Coast University.
Scott is past president of the California Association of
Regional Park and Open Space Administrators (CARPOSA), past president of the
National Association of County Park and Recreation Officers (NACPRO), and a past
commissioner for the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation
Agencies (CAPRA). In 2020 Scott received the NACPRO Professional Lifetime
Achievement award.
Scott served two terms as an elected official on the water
district in his local hometown and is currently serving as Chairman of the City
of Menifee Parks, Recreation and Trails Commission.
Scott and his wife, Cindy, have two children who also
started their working lives at the same park where Scott began his journey into
the profession and recently welcomed their first grandchild in 2021.