Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz announced today the appointment of Lawrence C. Hemingway as the city’s director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services.
Hemingway has served as director of Parks and Recreation for Wayne County Parks in Westland, Michigan, since 2010. He’ll start work in Evanston Feb. 8.
Bobkiewicz said Hemingway’s experience in Michigan “provides an excellent foundation for coming to our city and providing recreation services that match our community’s needs.”
While at Wayne County Parks, Hemingway managed and monitored a budget of over $17 million; oversaw day-to-day operations for recreation, maintenance and design personnel for the division, and planned and coordinated major special events.
Wayne County Parks has a diversified year-round parks and recreation program that includes a newly renovated riverfront facility, golf courses, ball parks, a water park, a marsh, a dog park, and various athletic fields, parks, and 5,500 acres of open space.
Hemingway previously served as chief operating officer for Think Detroit PAL, a nonprofit that organizes youth recreational sports leagues. He also served as general manager for the City of Detroit’s Recreation Department before being promoted to director.
He has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Wayne State University. Hemingway and his wife, Felecia, have a son, Lawrence Jr., age 17, and a daughter, Laurielle, age 16.