Arizona State Parks and Trails

Arizona State Parks 

Executive Director (2015 – 2018)

• Managed 250 employees with a 40 million dollar budget with capitol and no general funding.

• NRPA Gold Medal Award winner for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. 

• Arizona Governor, Doug Ducey, describes Director Black as a “visionary in her field for her entrepreneurial, creative and collaborative spirit.”

• In under two years, Director Black’s leadership has transformed Arizona State Parks and Trails with the adoption of an enterprise model. As a result, the capital development budget has increased from $3 million to $25 million igniting the largest state park development effort in Arizona’s history.

• Without general fund support, Arizona State Parks and Trails experienced record attendance and revenues through innovative cost/revenue-sharing opportunities and productive public/private partnerships.

• Led a public/public/private partnership to develop the $350 million Havasu Riviera State Park and surrounding residential/recreation facilities with no state monies.

• From land acquisition to dedication in November 2016, Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park was opened in 18 months and 30% under budget. The first new Arizona state park in 19 years, the park is also the only first responder memorial of its kind in the country. A lasting tribute that preserves the site where 19 wildland firefighters who died in the Yarnell Hill Fire on June 30, 2013, the park features rugged trails that provides visitors the opportunity to experience the rugged landscape in which the Hotshots worked.

• Among dozens of public/public partnerships is a 15-year agreement with the City of Yuma which will ensure continued operation and reinvestment in Yuma Territorial Prison and Colorado River State Historic Parks.

• Implemented a modernized digital workflow that allows the agency to operate at the “speed of business.”

• Now completely online, our grants process was streamlined 50% resulting in 125% increase in applications.

• A trailblazing collaboration with the State Procurement Office has reduced development timelines by 25%.

• CAPRA award - First state park system in the nation to become accredited (2018).

• The agency set aggressive LEAN/AMS performance targets, a system of continuous improvement that generated 26% in increased revenue (from FY15 to FY17), 24% increase in volunteer hours, 4% increase in occupancy, and digital traffic is 10% over the national average.

• Adopted a ‘We are the story, not the ad’ philosophy which resulted in ad equivalent value over $1 million and reduced print advertising cost by 85+%.

• Developed in-house marketing team complete with photography and videography, design/production tools. This team has doubled social media connections and the email list; social engagement is at an all-time high.

• Created over 35,000 new overnight opportunities in FY 18 with the addition of new camping cabins, group campsites and overflow camping areas.

• Further redefining community connection, guided the implementation of an integrated, responsive website, mobile app, call center, and online reservation system has resulted in quicker response times, consistent messaging, and increased online reservations.

• More new parks, such as Upper Cattail and Rockin’ River Ranch, are in the development stages.

Chief of Operations (1993 – 1997)

• Development of Kartchner Caverns State Park.

• Received the 1996 Award of Excellence.

• Managed diverse work groups of 140 full-time employees and 100 part-time, and hundreds of volunteers.

• Directed all planning, development, organization and management of the various properties and programs through the park system.