María Muñoz-Blanco has been selected to become the next director of the Town of Garner’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department.
Muñoz-Blanco brings more than 25 years of experience in the public sector, working at the state, county and municipal level in arts, parks, venue management and grantmaking organizations. Her work in the public sector has focused on improving quality of life in diverse communities, expanding programs and services in the arts and parks, and successfully integrating diverse voices and a broad spectrum of creative organizations and artists.
Most of Muñoz-Blanco’s professional experience has involved working in large metropolitan areas, and she has had direct responsibility for managing annual operating budgets as large as $38 million. She most recently served as vice president in the Leadership Transitions practice of Arts Consulting Group, Inc. (ACG), a bi-national cultural management consulting firm.
“Maria brings a wealth of experience in all areas of parks and recreation, including programming and cultural resources,” Garner Town Manager Rodney Dickerson said. “Her experience in larger organizations should translate well to the Town of Garner as we plan for continued growth.”
Muñoz-Blanco will assume leadership of a nationally accredited department that currently has 12 parks totaling more than 473 acres and facilities including the Garner Performing Arts Center, Garner Senior Center, White Deer Park Nature Center and the soon-to-open Garner Recreation Center.
“I am honored and delighted to join the Town of Garner Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources Department,” Muñoz-Blanco said. “Public parks and leisure activities are central to the quality of life of a community and increasingly play an important role in health and wellness. This is an exciting time for the Town of Garner and for the department, with a new master plan and new assets coming online to better serve the community. I look forward to working alongside Town leadership, staff and our advisory boards to provide Garner residents with great recreational experiences in our beautiful park system.”
Muñoz-Blanco has served as deputy director of the Fulton County Arts Council in Atlanta; executive director of the Cultural Arts Council of Houston and Harris County; director of cultural affairs for the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; executive director of cultural affairs for Miami Dade College; and director of parks and neighborhoods for the City of Memphis.
In her leadership role with the City of Memphis, Muñoz-Blanco oversaw a recreational system with 162 parks, 24 community centers, five senior centers, 17 pools, eight public golf courses, a football stadium/fairgrounds and a variety of athletic and sports facilities.
In Dallas, where she led the Office of Cultural Affairs for nine years, Muñoz-Blanco oversaw 22 city-owned cultural facilities managed through long-term partnerships with leading arts organizations or directly by her staff team.
Her capital projects experience includes planning and opening the $40 million City Performance Hall in the Dallas Arts District and a neighborhood cultural center in Oak Cliff, as well as managing $5 million in improvements to the historic Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis.
Muñoz-Blanco has a bachelor of arts degree in arts theory from the University of Puerto Rico, where she graduated magna cum laude, and a master of arts in art history from Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey.
For more information on the Garner Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department, please visit garnernc.gov/departments/parks-recreation-and-cultural-resources.