Brian Knapp has served on the City of Fairfax, Parks and
Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) since 1999. He spent most of these years as
the Chairman of PRAB from 2002 to 2010 and 2013 to present. Mr. Knapp has also
served on the Board of NOVA Parks since 2007, a 50-plus year old authority that
is made up of six jurisdictions in Northern Virginia including the City of
Fairfax. Since 2011, Mr. Knapp has served as the Chairman of NOVA Parks and led
both agencies to excel in the delivery of comprehensive, quality and award
winning parks and services.
In addition to the two local park agencies, Brian Knapp is also
on the Board of the National Recreation and Parks Association.
“A heartfelt congratulations to Brian Knapp for receiving the
Distinguished Volunteer Award from the Virginia Recreation and Park Society,”
said Barbara Tulipane, president and CEO of the National Recreation and Park
Association. “In working with our Board of Directors, I get to witness Brian’s
dedication and contributions to parks across the country on a regular basis and
know this is a well-deserved recognition. I am also pleased to congratulate
another NOVA Parks professional, Blythe Russian for receiving the Top
Professional in Virginia Award. Earning both of these distinguished awards speaks
volumes about the quality of the parks and professionals in northern Virginia.”
Blythe Russian has worked in the Parks and Recreation field for
many years. As a professional, she has continuously displayed an amazing level
and degree of dedication, commitment, energy, enthusiasm, support and
involvement. Her positive attitude and leadership capabilities are remarkable,
not only within her respective job roles, but through her involvement in VRPS.
Over the last 6 years, Blythe has worked with NOVA Parks, in
which she serves as a Park Operations Superintendent. In this capacity, she is
responsible for the oversight and supervision of 11 of the Park Authority’s 25
Regional Parks, consisting of approximately 5,000 acres of parkland. She
manages and oversees the Park Managers at her respective parks, working closely
with them to ensure park operations in all facets of the park are run
effectively and efficiently.
“The excellence of the award winning projects was evident and we
offer our congratulations to each winner for their outstanding contributions to
the profession and their community,” said VRPS President Art Thatcher.
“It is a great honor to work with both Brian and Blythe on a
regular basis. It is wonderful that the state association has recognized what
many in our area already know - that Brian Knapp is an amazing leader on the
governance side, and that Blythe Russian is an amazing leader on the
professional staff side,” remarked Paul Gilbert, Executive Director of NOVA
Parks. “It is because we have such a remarkable team that NOVA Parks has been
able to grow our park system with seven new parks in the last seven years, and
new programs and features that make our region a remarkable place to live,”
continued Gilbert.
NOVA Parks also
received two other VRPS awards. MORE (Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts) was
selected for the Distinguished Private Sector Service Award for their work with
NOVA Parks on the mountain bike trail at Fountainhead Regional Park. The NOVA Parks
marketing team also took home the Best Promotional Effort Award for its Atrium
at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens wedding guide book.
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