City looks west to fill parks chief’s job

Roswell has reached out to California to recruit an experienced parks executive for the position of director of recreation, parks, historic and cultural affffffffffffairs.

Jeff Leatherman, currently director of regional parks for Sacramento County, starts his new job in July at an annual salary of $125,008.

Leatherman oversees Sacramento County parks, trails, a nature center, three community centers and the American River Parkway. In Roswell, he will be responsible for parks, trails, the Cultural Arts Center, historic house museums, and multiple special events.

He has a bachelor’s degree in recreation administration from California State University and is a certified parks and recreation professional with the National Recreation and Parks Association.

Leatherman, 40, and his wife Michelle have four sons, ages 5 through 12. “I am looking forward to joining a dynamic team that provides award-winning parks, facilities and programs for the city of Roswell,” he said.

Leatherman’s predecessor in Roswell, Morgan Rodgers, left that job in April 2017 for Alpharetta; he was hired away to replace Alpharetta’s former parks chief Michael Perry, who left for Sandy Springs.