Richard L. Ash, Jr. retired as Director of Parks and Recreation in St. Charles, Missouri in 2005. Previously he was the Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation in St. Charles, Missouri (1979-80) and worked for The James Foundation in St. James, Mo. (1968-79). He received his B.S. from the University of Missouri at Rolla.
Richard has been and is involved in many professional aspects including but not limited to: the National Symposium Committee for Parks & Recreation Administration (1984-2008); NRPA’s Great Lakes Regional Council (1995-97); NRPA's 1996 Congress Program Committee; NRPA's Council of Affiliate Presidents (1995-97); NRPA & the National Association of Prevention Professional Advocates Search Conference (1996); the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association, MPRA (1978-Present), where he served in many capacities including President (1996-97); the Conservation Federation of Mo., CFM (1979-Present), serving as a Board member, Executive Committee member and Officer; the Missouri Trails Advisory Board for Mo.’s State Parks (2005-Present); the St. Louis 2004’s Parks & Open Space Task Force (1997-2000); the St. Louis Metropolitan Park & Recreation District, dba Great Rivers Greenway District (2001-2005) and as a Technical Advisory Committee member for the Dardenne Greenway (2006-08) and GRGD’s Strategic Plan Update (2010); the St. Charles Mo. County Floodplain Vision Board (1995-2009); the St. Charles Mo. County Park & Recreation Advisory Board (1997-2005). He has also served stints on the St. Charles Mo. County Arts Council, the St. Charles County Historical Society, the St. Charles County Conservation Club, and the St. James Golf Club Board.
He was an author of a segment of Parks and Recreation in the 21st Century, Chapter Two; edited and copyrighted in 1993 by Tony A. Mobley, Indiana University and Robert F. Toalson, Champaign Park District; published by the National Recreation and Park Association. And since 1974, he has made various presentations at NRPA’s Annual Congress, the World Waterpark Association’s Annual Conference & Trade Show; National Symposiums for Park & Recreation Administration; the National Association of State Parks Annual Conference; NRPA’s Great Lakes Council’s Innovative Program Forum; the Southern Leisure Management & Trends Institute; MPRA’s Conferences, Seminars & Trails Summits, the Mo. Municipal League’s Annual Conference, CFM’s Annual Conference; the University of Mo. at Columbia’s Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department; as well as considerable civic and community organizations.
Honors and Awards associated with Richard’s career would be: 10 MPRA Citation Awards for St. Charles citizens & community organizations; 3 Departmental awards including P/R Professionals’ Sourceletter’s Creative Program Award (1989), NRPA's Aquatic Section's Excellence in Aquatics Award (1994), and Missouri University's Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism’s Partnership in Excellence Award; and 3 personal plaudits including MPRA’s Fellow Award (1994), (1996), CFM’s President’s Award (2009) and being a 2nd Class Inductee into MPRA’s Hall of Fame. [updated 12/10]