BREC goes looking for a Ron Forman
The parks system wants a leader who is transformational
Baton Rouge's parks system is hunting for a transformational leader—and is prepared to pay handsomely to land one.
What's happening: BREC has launched a national search for a new executive director, with Chair Mike Polito signaling that the parks system wants a candidate who can fundamentally reshape the system's ambitions.
The model: Polito has instructed the search firm to think big—specifically, to find someone in the mold of Ron Forman, the executive who transformed New Orleans's Audubon Institute from a drowsy municipal zoo into a collection of world-class attractions. Under Forman's leadership, Audubon added a celebrated aquarium and a string of admired public spaces for learning and recreation, becoming as synonymous with the city as its cuisine.
Show me the money: BREC will offer $300,000 or more for the right hire, a figure that will turn heads among accomplished parks leaders in major metropolitan areas across the country, Polito tells RedEye.
The timeline: A new director could be in place by late spring or early summer, taking over for interim Janet Simmons after a transition period.
Why it matters: A reorganized BREC, led by an ambitious outsider, could reposition the parks system as the spark for quality of life in Baton Rouge—giving residents gathering places they can take pride in while making the region more attractive to new businesses and the talent they employ.
The bottom line: Baton Rouge has long watched peer cities excel through investments in public spaces. Polito's bet is that the right leader, at the right price, can do the same here.