Jill Geller has
been a park and recreation professional for more than 40 years, starting her
career at the Johnson County Park & Recreation District (JCPRD) in Johnson
County, Kansas in 1980. Jill moved to Roseville, California in 2019 where she
currently serves as the city’s Director of Parks, Recreation & Libraries.
During Jill’s tenure at Johnson County, she served in
numerous roles, one being the Executive Director of the Kansas City Corporate
Challenge, the nation’s largest corporate games competition. When she moved into
the role of Superintendent of Recreation, she led the Smart Snacks SCORE!
initiative, switching the District’s concession stand offerings to healthier
food choices. She facilitated the purchase and renovation of an 88,000 square
foot warehouse that became the District’s New Century Fieldhouse, featuring
indoor volleyball/basketball courts and an indoor soccer arena. And she
facilitated the purchase and renovation of a previously private-owned fitness
center into the District’s Mill Creek Activity Center, a full-service
gymnastics and fitness facility.
While serving as JCPRD’s Executive Director, Jill
successfully sought an increase to the District’s mill levy, resulting in $7,000,000+
in additional funding each year. This allowed for the completion of much needed
renovations to existing parks and facilities, and the opening of thousands of
additional park acres to County residents. She led the District through two
successful reaccreditations in 2014 and 2019. Under Jill’s leadership, the
District was recognized as a Gold Medal finalist in 2016 and the recipient of
the Class I Gold Medal Award in 2017.
Since joining Roseville Parks, Recreation & Libraries
(PRL) in 2019, the department has opened numerous parks, with several additional
parks under construction. The department introduced a citywide wellness
initiative, Be Well Roseville, creating new and spotlighting existing PRL
offerings to improve residents’ health and wellness. Partnerships facilitated
the construction of an outdoor fitness court and the renovation of an outdoor
basketball court to a “(Sacramento) Kings Court” featuring a one-of-a-kind art
design. The department completed a new strategic master plan in 2022, and PRL
is actively and strategically adding new facilities and programs to meet the
community’s continued growth.
Jill is past-president of the Kansas Recreation and Park
Association, is a current member of the California Parks and Recreation
Society, and has been an active NRPA member for many years, previously serving as
chair of the Certification Committee and member of the National Certification
Board. She is a Certified Park and Recreation Executive.