Friends of SCC Parks Hires New Exec. Dir.

Launches New Membership Program to Expand Swim Scholarships

Mariah Roberts will take the helm of Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks as executive director, the non-profit organization has announced. Mariah is an educator and designer raising her children in Live Oak. She spent 12 years working throughout the South Bay and Central Coast counties as an education consultant designing, building and implementing unique play spaces and curricula for children with developmental and medical needs.

More recently, in her position as executive director of the Chanticleer Park Neighbors Association, she collaboratively created a unique and groundbreaking public private partnership with the County of Santa Cruz and grassroots volunteer organizations to design, fund and build the county’s first, fully-inclusive playground, LEO’s Haven at Chanticleer Park, which is slated to open winter of 2019-2020.

“In her work co-driving the amazing Chanticleer Park/LEO’s Haven project, Mariah demonstrated her unique combination of superpowers: engaging support from diverse community groups, inspiring trust in donors and working well with others to get a task done,” said Terry Corwin, Board President of Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks.

As one of Roberts’ first executive actions, she has spearheaded the launch of a County Park Friends Membership Program to support expanded access to swim lessons for youth across Santa Cruz County. The community is invited to join this effort by becoming a member to invest directly in the health of local youth. Meet Roberts and learn more about the County Park Friends Membership Program at the Free Community Swim at Simpkins Swim Center, Monday September 2 from 12-4 pm.

Jeff Gaffney, Director of Santa Cruz County Parks states, “Mariah Roberts is one of those igniters in the community. She strives to make everyone around her better with her grit and determination. She is a true community organizer, and our department can’t wait to start making a difference together with Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks in our mutual goal of bringing beauty and recreation to our community through vibrant county parks.”

Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks is a long established non-profit with a mission to preserve, protect, improve and promote the use of Santa Cruz County parks and open spaces for recreational activities, arts and cultural activities to benefit all generations in our diverse community.

•••

To find out more about Friends of Santa Cruz County Parks or to sign up for a membership to support swimming scholarships for community youth, please visit countyparkfriends.org.