Robert C. Arnold is former Director of Parks and Recreation in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Upon his retirement in 1999, one of Fort Wayne's busiest parks was renamed "Bob Arnold Park," and the Governor bestowed the State's highest individual honor: Sagamore of the Wabash. Bob is now a full-time consultant with Earth Plan Associates.
Bob received his B.S. in Business Administration from Saint Francis College. He was affiliated with many societies which included the National Recreation and Park Association Board of Trustees from 1982 to 1987; the Indiana Parks and Recreation Association, President in 1975 and on the Board of Directors from 1964 to 1985; and the Indiana State University, Department of Recreation Management Alumni. From 1999-2000, he served as the Executive Director for the Indiana Parks and Recreation Association.
Robert started in the field of Parks and Recreation as a tree trimmer for the Fort Wayne Park Board in 1954 while in college. Assumed full time positions of Zoo Director (1956-1959), Supervisor of Areas Maintenance (1960-1964), Superintendent of Parks (1965-1971) before assuming the responsibility as Director of Parks and Recreation in 1971. Personal experience also includes teaching college courses in legislation and facilities planning, speaking on a variety of topics at NRPA Congress, State Conference educational sessions, and authoring articles fora variety of Parks and Recreation publications. He served as management consultant to the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, National Park Service, providing a management assessment for the East St. Louis, Illinois parks and Recreation Department. Facilitated the first H.U.D. funded productivity study ever administered in a Parks and Recreation Department, 1972-73. Additionally, consulting services including master planning, site planning, feasibility studies, merger studies have been provided to a variety of Midwest cities and counties, 1974-present. Robert was named the Professional of the Year by Indiana Parks and Recreation Association in 1979 and the Outstanding Professional by NRPA-Great Lakes Regional Council in 1984.