The City of Norfolk is pleased to announce that Nathan Powell has been named the next Parks and Recreation Director.
Powell comes to Norfolk from Mitchell, South Dakota where he served as the Parks and Recreation Director for the past five years. He has made a career in parks and recreation and is a certified parks and recreation executive. Receiving a bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation management from Northern Arizona University, Powell soon found himself with a master's degree in parks and recreation administration and serving as a camp director in Pinecrest, California.
From there, he went on to oversee four state parks in eastern Montana, including Makoshika State Park, Montana’s largest state park in Glendive Montana. Since moving to Mitchell, Powell has been involved with several projects, including the new indoor aquatic center, master planning, programming and operations, various park improvements, and the Lake Mitchell restoration project.
“Norfolk has been a home away from home for as long as I can remember. In 2008 we purchased the family farm in Stanton and we spend much of our summers in the area. I could not be more excited to call Norfolk my new home. I look forward to helping Norfolk have a premier Parks and Recreation department that improves the quality of life for those living and visiting the area. I am excited to help create a community wide vision for the future of parks and recreation in Norfolk; and I hope to maintain high quality parks and programs. I look forward to developing improvements to meet the future needs of the community,” said Powell.
“We are very excited to have Nate join our team at the City of Norfolk. He brings a wealth of experience and a true passion for Parks and Recreation. His leadership and dedication will serve the community well as we continue to strengthen Norfolk as a place to live, work and play,” said Andy Colvin, City Administrator.
“Continually improving and expanding upon Parks and Recreation offerings is essential to our quality of life. Mr. Powell brings a broad base of educational and professional work experience to the job. He’s helped develop, manage, and operate large parks systems and recreation programs. We look forward to him bringing fresh insight and perspective that comes with those experiences here to Norfolk,” said Mayor Josh Moenning.
Powell succeeds Pat Mrnsy who retired the beginning of October after 29 years of service. Powell is slated to begin with the City in December.