Brownsville hires new director of Parks and Recreation

May 16—The city of Brownsville has a new director of its Parks and Recreation Department: Sean De Palma, who joins the city with more than two decades of public and private sector experience.

De Palma, who comes to Brownsville from Florida, is expected to focus on enhancing quality of life through innovative parks and recreation management, according to the city's announcement. As department head, he'll oversee planning, directing, coordinating and monitoring all city parks, recreation centers, swimming pools, event centers and the Brownsville Golf Center as well as new park development.

De Palma will also be in charge of park maintenance across the city while overseeing recreational programs and facility developments.

"His duties extend to planning and developing departmental budgets, goals and objectives to ensure compliance and efficient service delivery," according to the city.

City Manager Helen Ramirez said she looked forward to De Palma joining the team.

"He was selected due to his vast experience with funding recreational centers and park projects," she said. "His experience will greatly benefit our city as we work to advance our community services and amenities. His commitment to enhancing community spaces and promoting accessible, engaging recreational opportunities also aligned with our goals."

Deputy City Manager Alan Guard said De Palma's reputation "precedes him as a leader who transforms communities."

"I look forward to working closely with him to support our current efforts of making Brownsville even more vibrant, healthy and a connected city," Guard said. "Our work will aim to further improve the quality of life for all residents of Brownsville."

De Palma said he's fully ready to take on the job of overseeing the city's parks and recreation facilities.

"My focus will be on ensuring that every family in Brownsville has access to exceptional parks and recreational experiences," he said. "I am eager to collaborate with our talented team and community stakeholders to enhance our facilities and expand our programs."

De Palma added that he's grateful for the trust city officials have placed in him to lead the department. He is a certified park and recreation executive, certified playground safety inspector, and certified aquatic facility operator.

De Palma succeeds former parks and recreation director Damaris McGlone, who led the department from 2014 until February of this year.