After Parks Director Darren Marsh announced his retirement in April, the Foundation's Board of Directors passed the following resolution of appreciation in his honor.
WHEREAS: Darren Marsh has served Dane County Parks for thirty years, serving as Parks Director for 18 years since 2001, and prior to that he was Operations Director for 12 years; and
WHEREAS: During Darren's tenure many significant advancements occurred in Dane County Parks including, the addition of over 7000 acres of land Including Parks and wildlife areas, development of campgrounds, helping develop the Lussier Family Heritage Center into a major community asset, planting thousands of trees, managing the Emerald Ash Borer invasion and other invasive threats; developing two county Forests; and managing the day to day operations of the 15000 acres of parkland; skillfully tending to the diverse flora and fauna in the Parks, and essentially protecting the Parks from the visitors and protecting the visitors from the parks; and
WHEREAS, Darren was the major force behind the growth of the parks volunteer program to the extent of over 700,000 volunteer hours during his tenure and fostering 19 Friends groups to build a long term base of public support for the Parks; and
WHEREAS, Darren's ability to work successfully with many partner groups, to create a fabric of a diverse and vibrant parks system, has included all ranges of recreation and conservation interests including, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, bicycling, hiking, horseback riding, boating, kayaking, each increasing access to our parks and in each instance skillfully accommodating the public's wishes with the need to maintain the unique natural resources of each park; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure he was the staff to the Parks Commission and guided the Commission in its role of managing and advising the Parks System; and
WHEREAS, Darren was the force behind the development of the Foundation for Dane County Parks, recognizing its potential to be a significant force in supporting the Parks and he continues to provide support to the Foundation's operation; and
WHEREAS, Darren's work ethic and commitment to the Parks was unparalleled, setting an example of hard work, and professionalism to those colleagues with whom he worked; being the first to show up and the last to leave; and this can be exemplified in the quality of our Dane County Parks system; and
WHEREAS, Darren has been a mentor to many colleagues in the Parks and Recreation field throughout the State of Wisconsin and that legacy will be felt for many generations; and
WHEREAS, Darren's contributions to conservation and recreation in Dane County have immeasurably contributed to the quality of life we all enjoy now and in the future.
NOW therefore BE IT RESOLVED that the Foundation for Dane County Parks expresses its profound appreciation for Darren's contributions to the County Parks system and making it the best system in the State
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Foundation recognizes that Daren's footprints will be on the Parks system for generations to come and that the Foundation will be forever in gratitude for his guidance, partnership and support.
Resolution Adopted on April 30th, 2021.
