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Ken Bounds named to serve on Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
OLYMPIA – Feb. 12, 2014 – Ken Bounds of Seattle has been appointed by Governor Jay Inslee to serve on the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Bounds’ term runs until Dec. 31, 2018.
Bounds served 11 years as the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation for the City of Seattle. He also served as Budget Director and in various executive leadership positions before retiring in 2007. He has served on a variety of local and national boards, including the City Parks Alliance, the Mountains to Sound Greenway and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition. He is a current member of the Seattle Parks Foundation board.
While with the City of Seattle, Bounds led efforts to secure more than $230 million from voter-approved levies that resulted in new parks, community centers, swimming pools and more than 350 acres of public open space. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from Baylor University, and he completed two years of study in the Urban Planning Master’s Program at the University of Iowa. Bounds and his wife, Linda Gorton, enjoy traveling, hiking, golfing, bicycling and cooking for friends. They have an adult daughter who also resides in Seattle.
“I am honored to be named to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission,” Bounds said. “I am looking forward to working with the other Commissioners and staff to strengthen the park system and help ensure its viability into the future. Washington State has a very special park system, and I am excited to do whatever I can to continue its legacy.”
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is a seven-member board that sets policy to guide the state park system. Commissioners are appointed by the governor and serve in a volunteer capacity. The Commission meets six times a year at predetermined locations around the state, in order to provide citizens the opportunity to attend meetings and so that Commissioners can tour sites managed by the agency. Information about Commission meetings is available online at www.parks.wa.gov/agency/commissionmeetings/
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The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission manages a diverse system of more than 100 state parks and recreation programs, including long-distance trails, boating safety and winter recreation. For more information about parks and services, visit www.parks.wa.gov/.
Support state parks by purchasing your annual Discover Pass today, and enjoy a whole year of outdoor fun on Washington’s beautiful state-managed recreation lands. For more information, visit www.discoverpass.wa.gov.
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