Mari Steinbach began her tenure as the MRD Executive Director on October 21st 2019. Mari is happy to have returned to Colorado after several years away, having served the communities of Kankakee, Orland Hills, and Woodstock, Illinois; Brighton and Grand Junction, Colorado; Anchorage, Alaska; Scottsdale, Arizona; Burlington, Vermont; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Greenville, South Carolina. During her nine years as Recreation Superintendent in Grand Junction she led the department to receive a National Gold Medal Award from the National Recreation and Park Association, and enabled many successful partnerships and programs. During her most recent job in Greenville, South Carolina, Mari managed an organization with 35 parks, six community centers, a zoo, and an annual budget of $15 million, bringing about many successful improvements to that department and city. Mari is excited to bring her 30+ years of proven experience managing a diverse variety of parks and recreation agencies and building partnerships in the communities she has worked. Mari is a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional as recognized by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), has a B.S. in Business Administration with a minor in Recreation Resources Management from Colorado State University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver. She is also a Commission for Accreditation of Parks & Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) Site Visitor. Mari strives to build an inclusive and active community and is eager to play alongside all of you!