Department of Recreation, Parks & Open Space

Division Information

Division Head of Aquatics and Recreational Water Activities

Dan Jones: 441-2400 x 229

• Operate 3 year round indoor aquatic facilities: Huntersville Pool, NWFC Pool, Northside Pool.
• Operate 3 seasonal pools (June - Labor Day): Berkely Pool, Chesterfield Pool, NFWC outdoor Pool.
• Operate 3 Seasonal Beachfronts in Ocean View: Community Beach, Sarah Constant Beach and Ocean View Park Beach. Ocean View Beach Patrol on duty from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day.
• Other Aquatic Division Responsibilities:
• City of Norfolk Boat Ramps
• East Ocean View Fishing Pier
• Small Watercraft launching (canoes and kayaks)
• General Ocean View Beach Safety
• Some Ocean View Beach Access
• Citywide Water Ways/No Wake Zones

Division Head of Athletics and Recreational Sports
Vacant: 441-2400

• All Athletic/Sports Programs with Citywide League Play.
• Boxing Program
• Facility Use Cards for entire City of Norfolk
• Field Usage Permits
• Picnic Shelter Reservations
• Open Space Rentals (green area in the park):Lafayette Park, Barraud Park, Lakewood Park, Northside Park, Tarrallton Park, Huntersville Park & Berkley Park
• Vendor Permits

Division Head of Business Services
Walter Sullivan: 441-2400 x 244

• Payroll
• Paying all RPOS invoices/vendors
• Preparing the annual budget
• Budget monitoring, expenditures and other financial projects assigned by the BM.
• Processing of personnel
• Budget Development- General Operating
• Maintain the Department’s IT needs and equipment.

Division Head of Cemetery Maintenance

Vacant: 441-2576

• Maintenance of all eight (8) City Owned Cemeteries
• Maintenance of Mt. Olive Cemetery (NOT City Owned) and McArthur Home site. 
• Maintenance of the cemeteries includes: Mowing, mulching, string trimming, tree pruning, chemical applications, fertilizing, litter control, etc. All maintenance is coordinated with Funeral Services.

Division Head of Funeral Services
Jennifer Jones: 441-2576

• Management of Funeral Services, Cemetery Managers & Office Staff
• Responsible for foundations (monuments/markers)
• Customer complaints/concerns
• Coordinate programs and/or ceremonies (i.e. Decoration Day, Memorial Day ceremonies, Black Union Soldier, United Daughters of the Confederacy, etc.)

Acting Division Head of Open Space, Planning and Development
David Pfiffer 441-2400 x 249

• Master Planning: Open Space & Greenways, Bikeways and Trails
• Landscape planning and development, materials and maintenance planning & installation and maintenance training
• CIP- expenditures tracking and project management
• Stakeholder Identification
• Liaison with Agency/Public Interest Groups
• Parks (City, Skate, Dog and Festival) and Playgrounds
• Bike, Nature and Cross Country Trails
• Medians and Planters, Streetscapes, School Grounds, Parking Areas, Beach Access)
• Site furniture replacement (benches, trash receptacles, signage, lighting etc.) in conjunction with Facility Maintenance
• City tree placement

Division Head of Park Maintenance
Bob Alderman: 823-4029

• Mowing & Bed Maintenance– all Norfolk Public Schools, Parks, Recreation Centers, Medians, Vacant Lots, Roadsides, Ditches, and Athletic fields.
• Beach Maintenance– cleaning of 7 ½ miles of beach April – September. This includes the dumping of 400 trash receptacles weekly.
• Vacant Lots – Maintain 350 City owned lots and 250 Private owned lots.
• Athletics – perform grounds maintenance on football, soccer, baseball, softball, field hockey, rugby and lacrosse fields. This includes repair, lining, dragging and clay replacement. This Division also collects all trash at Parks, Recreation centers, Athletic fields and Special events.
• Small Engine Repair Shop – perform maintenance and repair on over 1000 pieces of portable equipment including Parks and Urban Forestry, Facility Maintenance, Cemeteries, Public Works, Utilities and the Fire Department.
• Tree and Shrub Planting– throughout the entire City.
• Public Building Maintenance– includes Scope, Chrysler Hall, Harrison Opera House, City Hall Plaza, Courts Building, Harbor Park, School Administration, Attucks Theater, Martin Luther Memorial.
• FYI- Items NOT maintained by Parks and Urban Forestry, but handled by Facility Maintenance:

Picnic tables, grills, bleachers, tennis courts, fencing, soccer and football goals, dumpsters, any electrical, plumbing, or other building maintenance requests.

Division Head of Public Information

Vacant 441-2400 x 232

• Manage and coordinate Department public relations, marketing and promotional activities.
• Coordinate media pitches and fulfill media requests.
• Event Unit supports RPOS and City-wide events with logistical support.
• Maintain and update RPOS website content.

Division Head of Recreation and Leisure Activities
Ann Gastoukian 441-2400 x 239

• Operate 18 Recreation Centers, Visual Arts Program, Dance/Music Program & Norfolk Fitness & Wellness Center:
  • Park Place
  • Sherwood Forest*
  • Tarrallton *
  • Titustown
  • Titustown Visual Arts
  • Young Terrace *
    
  • Grandy Village
  • Huntersville
  • Ingleside
  • Lakewood Dance & Music
  • Larchmont
  • Merrimack Landing
  • Norview
  • Bayview *
  • Berkley
  • Campostella
  • Captain's  Quarters *
  • Crossroads *
  • East Ocean View
  • Fairlawn *

• Oversee all programs at all recreation centers and programming parks
• Permits at Recreation Centers go through the recreation centers and Harriett Alexander
• Childcare at seven sites (*)
• Playground programming
• City-wide/Area Events:
• Annual Play Day
• Bike Safety Day
• Support of Eco Days
• Support of Mayor’s Picnic
• Support of Employee Wellness Day at VA Zoo
• Recreation Center Special Events
• Project Focus Centers
• Dance/Music and Visual Arts Fee based classes
• Project Management of new construction, purchasing and staffing as related to Norview and Lambert’s Point

Division Head of Seniors, Therapeutics and Special Needs
Jamie Kiernan: 441-2400 x 234

• Operates 3 facilities- Ocean View Senior Center, Therapeutic Recreation Center and Southside Senior Center
• Programs include: Seniors 55 and older, Therapeutics, Senior Clubs
• Citywide/Area Events (Seniors and Therapeutic) include: Norfolk Senior Olympic; Day for People With DisABILITIES; Miracles in Art; Senior Sweethearts on Parade; Senior Ball.

City Forester (Division Head)- Urban Forestry
Rick Wernicke: 823-4023

• Manage, maintain, expand, improve and protect Norfolk’s urban forest and public trees along all City Streets, at Norfolk Public Schools, in City Parks, Open Space, Recreation Centers, Cemeteries, Camp Young (Chesapeake) and on all other Norfolk Public Property.
• Provide structural and clearance pruning, to A-300 pruning standards, on all public trees City wide.
• Remove all dead, dying, diseased, high-risk or downed public trees City wide.
• Monitor and manage insect and diseases of public trees.
• Clean up storm damage and clear streets and sidewalks.
• Request and manage annual Forestry budget.
• Utilize, account for and manage all forestry equipment properly.
• Provide response to service requests called in by citizens, contractors, all City departments, State and Federal government agencies and other organizations regarding public trees.
• Maintain Norfolk’s Tree Manager (a street tree work history and inventory data base).
• Issue all tree work permits.
• Attend site plan review meetings and review site plans involving public trees.
• Annually order pesticides and fertilizer for The Division of Parks and Urban Forestry.
• Direct the Norfolk’s Arbor Day Committee through out the year.
• Plan and carry out an Arbor Day Ceremony.
• Maintain Norfolk’s Tree City USA status.
• Train and utilize Tree Steward Volunteers to carry out Norfolk’s street tree inventory project.
• Train tree crews to modern arboricultural safety and pruning standards.
• Provide inspection and consultation involving trees to City Attorney’s.
• Manage and produce trees for public planting through the City’s Nursery in St. Brides.
• Manage all wood waste and debris at the Dana Street Yard.