"Philadelphia’s Parks & Recreation"

Kathryn Ott Lovell was appointed commissioner of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation (Parks & Rec) by Mayor Jim Kenney in January 2016. In this position, Ott Lovell oversees 700 full-time employees, more than 2,700 part-time and seasonal employees, over 10,200 acres of land, 500 buildings, 166 miles of trail, 250 playgrounds, and thousands of programs and events throughout Philadelphia's parks and recreation system. Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell will provide a robust overview of Philadelphia's urban park system, one of the largest in the nation. She will then discuss the agency's current challenges and how a landmark initiative called Rebuild is helping to address those challenges. Kathryn will conclude her talk with a lively discussion on how Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is the key to city's future.