2023/24 Annual Report Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation
FY 23/24
JULY ‘23 - JUNE ‘24
HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
Enable residents and visitors to pursue healthy, active lifestyles and provide access to recreation facilities
STEWARDSHIP
Physically, economically, and socially supporting
ENVIRONMENT
Enable
and visitors
Improve and maintain existing parks, playgrounds, and recreation centers. Ensure the stewardship of funds, facilities, & public lands
Gold Medal Finalist and winner banners hung in all seven recreation centers
COMMISSION
Hugh Tierney | Chair
Joseph A. Monaco | Vice Chair
Phillip J. Hines | Secretary
Benjamin Messer
Daniel Edwards
Clinton Mills
Kathryn N. Moran
Myra Payne
Stephen Rockerfeller
Eugene Towler
David Weiner
Debbie Wiggins
Quinn C. Zelinski
Sebastian Johnston
FOUNDATION
Michael Fentress | Chair
Barbara Duke | President
Ron Kaufman | Treasurer
Claire Yoder, RN, JD | Secretary
Joyce Hearn
Pete Striffler, P.E
Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation is accredited by CAPRA, the certifying agency of the National Recreation and Park Association.
A quick note about content:
The City of Virginia Beach financial year runs from July 1 to June 30. Data and content in this annual report covers the period from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
Campers on a hike during the new Back to Nature Camp
On the cover: The Gold Medal plaque is presented to Virginia Beach City Council in October 2023.
1
THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM
After being named a finalist for the Gold Medal awards three years in a row, we finally took home the Gold Medal this year, and beat out some tough competition to do so.
The award is confirmation of something we’ve all known for a whileVirginia Beach Parks & Recreation is the gold standard of parks & recreation operations.
This recognition belongs to every member of our extraordinary staff whose hard work and dedication have propelled us to this amazing achievement, as well as our elected officials and city management for their unwavering support over the years. Only through support such as this can any agency attain Gold Medal status.
We had a lot more to celebrate during this year too. The long-planned VBTrail received a $15m federal grant to help fund phase one of the project. The city council gave the green light to develop a world-class park at Rudee Loop on the oceanfront, and our Parks & Rec team completed the steps for CAPRA recertification.
Michael Kirschman Director
SETTING THE GOLD STANDARD
In October 2023 Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation was named the Tier 1 2023 NATIONAL GOLD MEDAL AWARD WINNER for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management. The awards are hosted by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), in partnership with National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).
The Gold Medal Judges praised VB Parks & Rec for our array of unique initiatives that covered almost every aspect of our services and operations.
To celebrate the fact that every full and part-time team member contributed to the award win, the Gold Medal toured park facilities and recreation centers throughout the year, banners were raised in each recreation center and the Gold Medal was officially presented at a Virginia Beach council meeting.
Based on the rules for the Gold Medal awards, VB Parks & Rec will not be eligable to enter again until 2028.
1. The Parks & Rec leadership team celebrate winning the Gold Medal on the third attempt
2. Staff at Kempsville Rec Center posing with the Gold Medal
3. Staff at Parks & Rec admin posing with the Gold Medal
4. Cutting the Gold Medal cake at the staff recognition lunch
#PARKLIFE - YEAR AT A GLANCE
Cherry Blossom Festival @ Red Wing Park
Solar eclipse @ Mount Trashmore Park
Dog walks @ Munden Point Park
Swim meet @ Princess Anne Rec Center
IN FY23/24 PARTICIPATION & REVENUE HIT NEW HEIGHTS
1.8 Million RECREATION MEMBER SCANS
54,000 MEMBERSHIPS SOLD
205,789 FITNESS CLASS PARTICIPANTS
8,362 SWIM LESSON PARTICIPANTS
2,733 OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME KIDS
1,118 THERAPUETIC REC PARTICIPANTS
OUR MEMBERS
COMMUNITY
CELEBRATING OUR SHARED SPACES
High-quality events and programs that bring people together are essential to a thriving community, and this year, our outdoor special events were especially popular, with over 66,000 estimated attendees.
OVER 6,000 PEOPLE gathered at Mount Trashmore Park in November for the inaugural Autumn in the Air Festival. Thousands more attended signature events, including the Cherry Blossom Festival at Red Wing Park, and the Winter Wildlife Festival and an estimated 25,000 people enjoyed the July 4th Fireworks show at Mount Trashmore Park.
Mount Trashmore Park was also a popular gathering space to watch the partial solar eclipse in April, and residents also shared their memories of the park as part of Mount Trashmore’s 50th anniversary celebration.
OVER 400 TEENS AND FAMILIES took part in Parks After Dark each night, which completed its first full season in summer 2023 and returned in June 2024. The program at Williams Farm Park provided a safe summer space for kids and teens to come together on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
To help non-verbal children communicate and play in city playgrounds, over a dozen ‘communication boards’ were installed at playgrounds throughout the city. The initiative was funded by local sponsors and the Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation Foundation. The Foundation also funded new mountain bike trail map kiosks, signage and trail markers in Marshview Park.
In May, as part of National Bicycle Month, OVER 600 CHILDREN took part in Bike to School events in a collaborative event with VB Schools.
3 4
1. July 4 Fireworks above the stage at Mount Trashmore Park.
2. Parks After Dark at Williams Farm Park
3. Watching the partial solar eclipse from Mount Trashmore Park
4. Students at WT Cooke elementary school take part in a bike to school ride during National Bicycle Month
ENVIRONMENT
RAISING THE BAR FOR GOLD, AND GREEN
Caring for our open spaces and environment benefits every resident and visitor to the city - including our wildlife, and this year several new wildlife cameras helped us capture some incredible footage of our four-legged and feathered residents, including black bears, bobcats, otters, and white tailed deer.
OVER 1,500 PEOPLE took part in the 2024 Winter Wildlife Festival, which returned for its 14th year. As part of the festival, local teacher Maurice Cullen, was named the 2024 recipient of the Mary Reid Barrow Wildlife Advocate Award.
New environmental initiatives included the addition of a ‘bee hotel’ to the pollinator garden at Red Wing Park, and the installation of six ‘Chronolog’ stations at natural areas. These stations enable visitors to contribute to a timelapse video to help monitor how these sites are adapting to climate change, sea level rise and invasive species.
During the year thousands of volunteer hours helped keep the parks clean too. Volunteers collected and recycled 12.8 pounds of used fishing line, 21 pounds of cigarette butts and over 27,500 POUNDS OF TRASH during clean up events.
1. Watershed Explorers Camp was introduced in summer 2024
2. A white tailed deer checks out a trail camera
3. Members of the Urban Forestry team
4. A new pollinator garden at Mount Trashmore Park
HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
AWARD-WINNING HEALTH & WELLNESS
As rising costs continued to put pressure on household budgets, more people turned to the legendary value of our recreation centers as a way to access affordable health and wellness options. Both recreation center scans and group fitness participation increased over previous years.
Residents now have greater access to free fitness amenities with two new, outdoor fitness stations in neighborhood parks and OVER 2,700 PARTICIPANTS enjoyed free fitness classes held in the fall and spring at Mount Trashmore Park.
OVER 8,000 CHILDREN and adults took part in group and private swim lessons during the year, and the Students on the Swim program hosted 1,160 students from fourteen schools.
Passive recreation was made easier too. New kayak rental stations were installed at Munden Point Park and Lake Lawson/Smith Natural Area in late June and have already been a hit with hundreds of rentals.
1. A new fitness station at Pine Meadow Park
2. Cutting the ribbon at the fitness station at Oak Springs Park
3. New kayak rentals at Munden Point, featuring Barks & Rex.
4. Participants at a free fitness class at Mount Trashmore Park
5. Participants at a ‘Drums Alive’ group fitness class
STEWARDSHIP STEWARDSHIP
STRIKING GOLD WITH NEW PARK AMENITIES
The planned ‘VBTrail’ took a major step forward this year, with $14.9 MILLION IN FEDERAL funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program (SS4A). The grant will help fund phase one of the plan, which will convert an old rail corridor into a multi-use trail that stretches across the city.
Virginia Beach City Council also voted to move forward with the development of a world-class park at Rudee Loop. Dills Architects was selected as lead design firm for the project.
The new Great Neck Pavilion opened to the public in fall 2023. The 120-capacity space HOSTED OVER 60
EVENTS in its first operational year and contributed to a 20% increase in overall rental revenue.
Dozens more playgrounds were refurbished using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding during the year, bringing the total number of new playgrounds constructed over the past two years to 45. Additional projects included a new sports management office at Princess Anne Athletic Complex, a parking lot expansion at Stumpy Lake Natural Area and upgrades to Mount Trashmore Park - including an expansion to Kids Cove playground which began in spring 2024.
1. A new playground at Salem Woods Park
2. The Great Neck Park Pavilion opened to the public in fall 2023.
3. The site of the future VBTrail
4. Work underway on an expansion to Kids Cove playground at Mount Trashmore Park
FY 23/24 FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
For every dollar spent by the city, 3.5 cents is spent on parks & recreation and landscaping services $2.64B
City Operating Budget
Where Our Funds Come From:
Parks & Recreation had an annual operating budget of around $92M in the 23/24 financial year. Around 8% came from recreation center memberships, Out-Of-School Time and permit fees. The remainder came from different tax sources.
Source
and Charges
Centers Referendum
Space Fund
State Funds for Landscaping Roadways
Where Our Funds Are Spent:
With nearly 300 parks to maintain, as well as city properties, divided roadways, and school properties, around 30% spent on landscape and park management.
OVER 1,400 FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME TEAM MEMBERS MAINTAIN OUR PARKS & RECREATION SYSTEM
1,211 TREES PLANTED
2,123 SHELTER RENTALS
17,353 BOAT LAUNCHES AT LYNNHAVEN
22,727
POUNDS OF TRASH COLLECTED BY VOLUNTEERS
2,063
OUTDOOR PROGRAMMING REGISTRATIONS
1,191 ADOPT-A-PARK VOLUNTEERS
OUR TEAM
THE GOLD MEDAL TEAM IN ACTION
Every member of our 1,400 strong parks & recreation team contributed to the Gold Medal Award win, so throughout 2024, the official gold medal toured park offices and recreation centers to give all staff the chance to celebrate with the medal.
During the year, OVER 700 NEW FULL AND PART TIME staff either joined the Parks & Rec team, or were promoted into new positions. Each of them took part in P&R Connection training. Since implementing our Cultural Foundations (Professionalism, Respect, Accountability, Integrity, and Citizenship) creating
legendary employee experiences has been a top priority, and in early 2024, a new series of 30-min long pocket trainings were introduced for staff, to help reinforce the cultural foundations.
Overall, the combined efforts of every parks & rec department employee contributed to an INCREASE OF $1.3M in earned revenue in the financial year, compared to the previous year.
1. Horticultural staff with a blooming agave plant
2. Installing new signage at Pleasure House Point
3.Trimming trees at Stumpy lake Natural Area
4. Planting flowers at Rudee inlet
5. Installing a Communication Board at City View Park
STAFF IN NUMBERS
462
FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES
1,011
PART-TIME EMPLOYEES
718
P&R CONNECTION ATTENDEES
689
POCKET TRAINING ATTENDEES
90,902
VOLUNTEER HOURS
192
SERVICE REQUESTS RECEIVED
MARKETING METRICS FOR 23/24FY COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEAR
668,137 WEBSITE VISITS UP 12%
2.4M
EMAIL CAMPAIGN OPENS
11,683 QR CODE SCANS
7,590 DIGITAL ACTIVITY GUIDE READS NEW!
$71k ADVERTISING SPEND
73,000+ SMS TEXT OPENS
THE GOLD STANDARD OF CREATIVITY
PARK & REC’S CREATIVE HQ TEAM launched a range of new services to improve communication with our community, including the launch of a SMS text message service, QR code magnets for each recreation center and a new digital activity guide, published each season.
To boost awareness of park and trail amenities, the team developed a new PARK SYSTEM POCKET MAP to hand out at events and recreation centers, and designed trail maps for the Marshview Park mountain bike trails.
CHQ’s brand team continued expanding the brand presence of Parks & Rec with new, ECO-FRIENDLY BRAND SWAG, including plantable seed pencils and gym bags made from recycled ocean plastic.
1. Special event tent and table in updated branding
2. Map kiosk installed at Marshview Park
3. Range of Parks & Rec eco-friendly swag
LEGENDARY COMMUNITY FEEDBACK
A selection of our five-star user reviews and testimonials.
BAYVILLE FARMS PARK
“The park is really well maintained and the disc golf course was fairly easy to navigate. There was quite a crowd on Sunday morning which was nice to see, so I imagine many folks regularly come to shoot discs!”
”
GREAT NECK INDOOR PAVILION
“What a great space! It was easy to find. An amazing amount of light, great media set ups and overall just a great spot to hold a class or personal event. Plenty of parking too.”
LITTLE ISLAND PARK
“Love, love, love this place! Plenty of parking, dog friendly during off season and you can take your dogs during summer on-leash. It’s a family favorite beach hangout.”
MOUNT TRASHMORE PARK
“Outstanding. Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation get top grades for this effort.”
BOW CREEK REC CENTER
“This was the Taj Mahal of recreation centers compared to what we have in Lakeland, Florida. .WOW! Indoor lap/ swimming pool with tube slide for the kids to boot and upstairs weight/ exercise machines on par with any new LifeTime Fitness etc.. When we are back in VA this will be our go to Rec Center. Thank YOU!”
KEMPSVILLE REC CENTER
“Love the equipment and the aqua track! The employees are very helpful!! Thankful to have this amazing facility in Virginia Beach.”
PRINCESS ANNE
ATHLETIC COMPLEX
“Top notch facility”
LYNNHAVEN BOAT RAMP
“Best boat ramp in the world.”
MUNDEN POINT PARK
“I don’t want to share this place. I want to keep it all to myself, you have to experience it for yourself sorry but this place is mine......lol”
OUT OF SCHOOL TIME
“The staff is incredible – they are very kind, very observant, and truly care for each student. I would (and have!) Recommend both of these programs to anyone. Between the afterschool program and various rec programs that my children have done this past year, we have nothing but wonderful things to say about the programming that Virginia Beach Parks and Rec offers. We are so very fortunate to have programming like this available to us in this city. Thank you so much for everything that you do!”
WOODSTOCK PARK
“Very nice and well-maintained park. The park itself is well laid out. The dog parks are huge with water and sectioned off from everything else.”
SEATACK REC CENTER
“We love this rec center! Each and every staff member has been remarkably kind and accommodating. If you’re looking for a more intimate work out setting with a real community feel-Seatack Recreation Center is the place!”
PLEASURE HOUSE POINT
“One of my favorite spots in Virginia Beach. It’s quiet and the bird watching is pretty fantastic!”
PARKS AFTER DARK
“My 2 boys love going to the park after dark event. Free food, free events. Their favorite is Dodgeball and the bounce house obstacle course.”
RED WING PARK
“What a serene spot to enjoy the sun, hiking, walking under the cherry blossom trees, grassy fields, sand volleyball, kids playground, dog park, restrooms, tennis courts, and Japanese tribute garden! This is an escape within city limits! A must see during mid/late March!”
BOW CREEK EARLY CHILDHOOD
“Your passion to keep the parents and families engaged with family fun nights were amazing! And graduation…..what a production! ”
