Norwalk Hires New Director Of Recreation, Parks

NORWALK, CT — The Common Council approved the hiring of Nick Roberts as Norwalk's new director of recreation and parks Tuesday night. He will now oversee the city's 1,200 acres of parks and open space.

Roberts comes to the department with a wealth of experience, having previously served as the Assistant Director for the Savannah, Ga., parks and recreation department and the Superintendent of Community Parks and Aquatics for the Miami, Fla., parks department.

Morgan said the city was not concerned about bringing in someone from out of state for the position as Roberts was clearly the best person for the job.

"[Roberts] really stood out," Morgan said. "He has a long track record of supervision of parks and recreation and open space, so I think he'll come in and hit the ground running and learn all that Norwalk has to offer, with our 1,200 acres of parks and open space that he is going to be responsible for."

Prior to Roberts' hiring, city staff and council members who had met with potential candidates made recommendations to Mayor Harry Rilling, who ultimately selected Roberts. The decision was brought before the Common Council during their meeting Tuesday and was approved.

"Mr. Roberts has an impressive resume and educational background. He is going to be a great fit in Norwalk," Rilling said in a statement emailed to Patch. "This was a long, competitive search process, and we are fortunate Nick is willing to relocate from Georgia to Connecticut. It is a big job overseeing our more than 1,200 acres of parks and open spaces, and I know he is up for the challenge. We look forward to having him on board in the coming weeks, which will be just in time for the start of the busy spring season in Norwalk."