Burkeen heads to Miami.

City of Miami Manager Joe Arriola has tapped former NRPA Board of Trustee Ernest Burkeen to head Miami's Department of Parks and Recreation. Burkeen has extensive experience in the field including his most current post as parks and recreation director for the city of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

"Mr. Burkeen's knowledge and professional skills make him a very good fit for the kinds of capital improvements and programmatic initiatives we are currently implementing," said Arriola. "Ernest will have the opportunity to lead the parks department to unprecedented new heights during this exciting period for the city of Miami, and I feel he is up to that challenge."

Burkeen's resume includes a long list of experience in parks administration and education, as well as civic involvement. He has a master's degree in recreation administration from Michigan State University. His position as director of parks and recreation for the city of Ft. Lauderdale required him to administer a $29 million budget, manage 500 employees and oversee 88 parks.

Burkeen has also served as head basketball coach for Kenitra American High School in Morocco, and as an adjunct professor at Eastern Michigan University. He also served in the United States Navy for four years.