Denver Parks and Recreation director Kim Bailey is resigning her post to take a job with Urban Centers for Outward Bound USA, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said Tuesday.
Bailey will remain in the region because the vice president position she is accepting is in Golden, the mayor said.
Hickenlooper made the announcement during his weekly meeting with City Council members. He said Bailey told him in the morning that she was taking the new job.
Last year, council members scolded Bailey’s agency over the condition of the city’s parkways, and Bailey also endured criticism from council members for spending time away from the office for doctoral classes at the University of Colorado Denver.
Bailey in September had declined a $5,197 raise Hickenlooper had proposed to her $110,423 salary.
On Tuesday, Hickenlooper praised Bailey and said she would continue to serve as co-chairwoman of a task force assessing the needs of Denver’s parks and recreation system.
Her resignation becomes effective May 27. The mayor announced that Scott Robson, the city’s deputy manager of parks and recreation, will take over as acting manager. A search for a replacement will begin immediately.
