Administration

Deputy Director

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Craig Murphy is Deputy Director of Capital, Conservation, and Strategy. Craig joined the department in 2018 as an Administrator where he created the Capital and Strategic Planning Section. Under his leadership, the department revamped its capital program, created a 5-year strategic plan, and earned the department’s first-ever CAPRA accreditation in 2023, a designation only achieved by only 2 percent of all recreation and parks agencies across the country.

Craig is a dynamic leader with experience in providing high-quality programming that benefits youth, families, and older adults. He has in-depth expertise in leading organizational strategy, financial and program management, governance and partnership development.

Prior to joining the department, Craig was the Chief Strategy Officer for Homeport, an affordable housing and community development nonprofit organization. In his 15 years with Homeport, Craig served in roles of increasing responsibility, including Senior Vice President of Operations and Program Services, Vice President of Real Estate, and Homeownership Development Director.

Craig holds a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Non-Profit Management and a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In addition, he has further honed his skills with an Executive Education Certificate from Harvard University’s Achieving Excellence Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and a Nonprofit Management Certificate from Duke University’s Continuing Studies Program.

When he’s not working, Craig is spending time with his family or running in the early mornings on the many greenways trails in and around Columbus.