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The NRPA Board of Directors reflects the organization’s membership, which includes professional and advocate leaders in the park and recreation movement; park and recreation agencies and organizations representing the public, private, voluntary, commercial and industrial sectors; firms supplying park and recreation products and services; and individuals and civic groups interested in the park, recreation, conservation, health and equity fields. In addition to the board members selected via the application process, the chair of the board is able to nominate additional members to be elected. This year, we welcome three new chair-nominated members to the 2023-2024 NRPA Board of Directors.

Samuel Assefa

Director, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
Sacramento, California

Samuel Assefa serves as the director of California’s Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2021. OPR is the state’s primary comprehensive planning agency, providing policy guidance to state agencies and local governments, with a focus on land use, community development, climate resilience and economic development. Under Assefa’s leadership, OPR has tripled its programs and initiatives in just two years, managing an annual budget of $1.5 billion across various divisions, including the California Strategic Growth Council, Office of Community Partnership and Strategic Communications, California Volunteers, Governor’s Military Council, and the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program, among others.

Assefa also chairs the California Strategic Growth Council, comprising seven state agency secretaries working to promote climate-smart communities and infrastructure development. He was recently appointed to the California Military Council by Governor Newsom, tasked with enhancing collaboration between local governments and the U.S. military on land use, climate resilience and statewide energy policies.

Prior to his role at OPR, Assefa served as the director of the Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development from 2016 to 2021. His extensive career includes positions such as senior urban designer for City of Boulder, director of land use and planning for Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development, deputy chief of staff for Economic and Physical Development for former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, and director of special projects for the San Francisco Planning Department.

Throughout his career, Assefa has been actively involved in civic and design organizations. He was inducted into Lambda Alpha International in 2006 and has served as a board member of the American Institute of Architects, the Graham Foundation and more. He is also a founding member of the Center for Art and Public Life at California College of the Arts, where he served as an adjunct professor of architecture. Additionally, he is a member of the Mayor’s Institute on City Design Resource Team.

Assefa frequently shares his expertise as a speaker at various forums and conferences, including the Urban Land Institute, CityAge, the American Planning Association and international symposiums, including the Toronto Tall Buildings Symposium and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. He has lectured at prestigious universities, such as Harvard Graduate School of Design, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Urban Studies, and Cornell Department of City and Regional Planning.

Assefa holds a Master of City Planning from MIT and a Bachelor of Arts in architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Rick Atkins

Director, City of Round Rock Parks and Recreation
Round Rock, Texas

Rick Atkins is the director of the parks and recreation department with the City of Round Rock. He attended Texas Tech University and received a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports science. Atkins joined the City of Round Rock in 1995 as a recreation supervisor. He served in several leadership positions until 2001, when he was selected as the department’s first assistant director. In February 2005, he was promoted to director of the parks and recreation department.

During his 18-year tenure as director, he has supervised and spearheaded more than $125 million in capital improvement projects. Many of the projects have received national and statewide recognition. In addition, the City of Round Rock has acquired more than 1,300 acres of parkland, an asset in growing the city’s recreation program and economic development efforts. In 2023, the community awarded the department with $150 million in bond funding for a series of new projects toward continuous community.

Under the direction of Atkins, the parks and recreation department has been awarded CAPRA accreditation by NRPA. The City of Round Rock has been reaccredited three consecutive times. In addition, his team was awarded the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. The Gold Medal Award is the highest national honor in the park and recreation industry.

Atkins has instilled in his department the importance of maintaining a strong connection with NRPA and the Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS). His team regularly attends NRPA conferences and training and is actively involved with both organizations. Team members serve on the Conference Program Committee and as CAPRA Visitors. A current member of the team is serving as the president of TRAPS. The department understands the value of involvement and the importance of NRPA’s Three Pillars, making these a focal point for its purpose to the City of Round Rock.

Atkins has a strong track record and commitment to the field of parks and recreation. The community benefits from his commitment and will continue to see and feel the advantages of that commitment for future generations.

Sean Johnson

Director, City of University Park Parks and Recreation
University Park, Texas

Sean Johnson, director of parks and recreation for the City of University Park, is a transformational park and recreation professional with more than 25 years of progressive experience in municipal parks and recreation. His extensive experience, his work with elected officials to implement community-driven initiatives, and his openness to challenges have given individuals the confidence to pursue their passion.

Johnson’s leadership and executive-level management skills have given him the opportunity to serve in large and small communities, working to bridge the gap between ideas and tangible action. In 2020, he was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration.

Prior to this appointment in 2020, Johnson served as managing director of parks, recreation and library services for the City of Lancaster, Texas, and led staff through CAPRA accreditation. He began his park and recreation career with the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department as a summer youth leader. Upon attaining his Bachelor of Science from Texas Tech University, he began working full time, excelling and advancing to an executive-level manager.

Johnson has served on various boards and committees on the national, state and local level, advocating for the preservation and development of parks and recreation, trails, and open spaces. These include the National Recreation and Park Ethnic Minority Society, the Texas Recreation and Park Society, the Dallas Park and Recreation Board, and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators North Texas Chapter.

Johnson’s passion for parks and his commitment to improving the quality of life for the communities he serves has led him to support various initiatives and help secure more than $600 million in funding for parkland development, recreational facilities and programs.