Administration

Bernita A. Reese

Director

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Bernita Reese joined the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department in January 2022. Bernita joined us from the Huntsville, Alabama Parks & Recreation Department, where she served as the Director.

Prior to her time in Huntsville, Bernita spent three years as Assistant Director for Columbus Recreation and Parks, overseeing the Community Recreation section. Her previous leadership experience includes 12 years as the Divisional Manager for the DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Department.  Read More

Steve Hiland

Deputy Director

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Steve Hiland has more than 25 years of public finance, budget management, capital planning and business operations experience with the City of Columbus. Most of his city career has been with Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, but he has additional time with Columbus Public Health and Columbus City Tax. Read More.

Craig Murphy

Deputy Director

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Craig Murphy serves as the Deputy Director of Capital, Conservation, and Strategy, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to his role. Since joining the department in 2018 as an Administrator, Craig has spearheaded significant initiatives, including the establishment of the Capital and Strategic Planning Section. Under his guidance, the department underwent a transformative period, overhauling its capital program and crafting a comprehensive 5-year strategic plan. Notably, Craig led the department to achieve its first-ever CAPRA accreditation in 2023, a distinction attained by only 2 percent of all Recreation and Parks agencies nationwide.  Read More

Kenton B. Curtis, Jr.

Assistant Director

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Kenton joins us from Five Rivers MetroParks Special Park District, where he was the Regional Manager of Business Operations. A Dayton, Ohio native, Kenton has 25 years of leadership experience, with more than 15 years of experience in public administration for the City of Dayton’s Department of Recreation & Youth Services. Read More

Mike Musser

Assistant Director

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Mike is the assistant director of the Parks, Forestry and Building Maintenance section. Appointed to this role in 2025, he oversees the City’s parks, facilities, golf courses and urban forest. He collaborates with community organizations and colleagues within the department to create spaces and opportunities that bring residents and visitors together to connect, be active and make lasting memories. Read More

Jason Nicholson

Administrator – Arts, Rentals and Events

Pronouns: He/Him/His

Jason Nicholson oversees the Arts, Rentals and Events Section, which was formed in 2024. This team connects residents by planning and managing the logistics for community and neighborhood events, managing a range of rental venues and creating opportunities to connect with the arts through classes, creative spaces and performances. Read More

NICOLE SMITH

Dawn Turnage

Assistant Director

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Dawn Turnage joined the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department in September 2022 and oversees the Youth Development section. An Ohio native, Dawn has 20 years of public service experience working with diverse populations in the areas of social services, criminal justice and public service. Most recently, she served as the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Youngstown. Her previous experience includes working with the City of Westerville Parks and Recreation and serving on the Youngstown City School Board. Read More

Katie White

COAAA Administrator

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Katie White joined the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department in June 2022 as the administrator for the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA). White has more than 15 years of experience in the aging field and formerly served as the director of the Age-Friendly Innovation Center (formerly the Age-Friendly Columbus and Franklin County) at The Ohio State University’s College of Social Work. In her role there, she applied education, engagement and research tactics to ensure that communities are inclusive and age-friendly for older adults. Read More