Dan West came to Broward County Parks and Recreation in 2009 with nearly 25 years of senior executive experience in administration and management; program innovation and facilitation; and public policy formulation and implementation at the local, state, and national levels. West oversees one of Broward County’s largest agencies, with nearly 1,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees, and almost 6,500 acres comprising 33 regional and neighborhood parks, four nature centers, and 21 natural areas. Broward Parks manages specialized community outreach programs including SWIM Central, Special Populations, the County’s Logistics Services Branch for Emergency Operations, and through an agreement with UF/IFAS, Extension Education. West has maintained the high standards of service that led to the agency’s achieving reaccreditation in 2012 by CAPRA and was instrumental in the formation of two dedicated supporting foundations. Under West’s leadership, attendance at County parks soared from 4.4 million in FY09 to more than 12.2 million in FY19. Six new parks and natural areas were opened, including the Carpenter House, Deerfield Highlands Nature Preserve, Military Trail, Miramar Pineland, Saw Palmetto, and West Creek Pineland. Plus, Everglades Holiday Park – a top destination in the state – reverted to Broward County management. Additionally, the Marine Environmental Education Center at Carpenter House was developed through a partnership with Nova Southeastern University. West earned a bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation management from The Ohio State University. He spent a dozen years as Chief of National Gold Medal Award-winning Ohio State Parks. Additionally, he served several years on the National Association of State Park Directors Board. His professional work includes articles and presentations on customer service, park management and leadership. In 2007, he was named Ohio’s Park Professional of the Year. West is a military veteran, having served in the U.S. Army. He resides in South Florida with his wife Kathy and son Matt.