The City of Bothell has named Nik Stroup, a 22-year City of Bothell employee, as its new Parks & Recreation Director, effective July 16.
“I firmly believe Nik possesses the leadership skills and operational experience to lead the Parks & Recreation Department and to establish a vision and direction for the department that is exciting and ambitious!” said Jennifer Phillips, City Manager.
Stroup, a Bothell resident, began his career at the City of Bothell as a maintenance worker. He has held various other roles including Citizen Response Coordinator, Section Manager, Public Works Superintendent and Deputy Director of Public Works Operations. He served as Acting Public Works Director during Erin Leonhart’s stint as Acting Deputy City Manager, offering him the opportunity to “test drive” a department head position for several months.
“There has never been a more exciting time to be involved in Bothell Parks and Recreation,” said Stroup. “The department already has a strong team of dedicated professionals who are passionate about creating positive recreational experiences for all to enjoy. I’m really looking forward to working with the community on parks and open space projects.”
Stroup began his public service career working for the cities of Leavenworth and Bellingham in various seasonal roles throughout high school and college. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Western Washington University.
The City conducted a nationwide search in which 49 applications were received.