“The City will miss Marie and the leadership she brought to work every day,” said City Manager Patrick H. West. “Marie is a true expert and professional that has brought a wealth of knowledge to the department and the City, and our residents have benefited from it. Her dedication to staff training and creating a culture that is team-centered is top-notch. We wish her the best and congratulate her on this next stage in her career.”
During her time with the City, Knight oversaw the completion and openings of over a dozen key park projects, including Gumbiner Park, Downtown Fitness Loop, Seaside Park soccer field, El Dorado Park Nature Center improvements and more, officials said.
“She oversaw several notable programs, projects and initiatives, such as: the first Senior Colloquium on Aging Re-imagined in partnership with SCAN and our Health and Human Services Department; updating of the Coyote Management plan in partnership with Loyola Marymount University; and created a Department-wide staff leadership boot camp program, providing staff-development training to over 150 team members a month,” reads a press release from the City of Long Beach. “Due to her efforts, strong collaboration between Parks, Recreation & Marine and the City’s Health and Human Services Department has been forged with a greater focus on Senior Services, and an Office of Aging is also being considered to launch in late 2018.”
Knight said it has been a great pleasure to serve the city and work with talented and dedicated staff members.
“In my time here, I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with many community leaders who are passionately devoted to the success of this city,” Knight said. “I appreciate the support of the mayor, city council, city manager and all of the other department directors and city leaders I have had the pleasure of working with. In particular, I am very grateful to the women and men of the Parks, Recreation & Marine Department for all of their hard work, dedication to excellence and all that they do every day for this community. I am proud to have been able to lead such an awesome team, and as I move on to another new opportunity I know I am leaving the department well positioned for greater success in the future.”
Under Knight’s leadership, the department has been awarded the 2017 Helen Putnam Award for Excellence for the Long Beach Junior Beach Runners program from the League of California Cities, as well as the Award of Excellence for the Be S.A.F.E (Summer Activities in a Friendly Environment) program from the California Park & Recreation Society.
Knight’s last day with the City of Long Beach will be Feb. 23. In early February, West will announce the interim replacement and the process for selecting the next Director of Parks, Recreation & Marine.
Source: City of LB
