Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness has named Sarah Sandquist as Director of Parks & Recreation, effective August 31. Mayor Fadness announced the appointment following the resignation of current Parks & Recreation Director Tony Elliot to pursue a new opportunity as Parks & Recreation Director for the City of Santa Cruz, California.
Sandquist has served as Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation for the City since February. During her tenure, she has managed internal administrative operations and led key initiatives for the department.
“Sarah has showcased strong leadership and tremendous strengths with department organization and strategy since joining our team,” said Mayor Fadness. “She was integral in organizing and executing our inaugural Spark!Fishers festival this past summer, and has helped to implement a diverse lineup of recreation activities and events for our community over the past six months. This is an exciting time for our Parks & Recreation department, with a new website and the AgriPark and Geist Waterfront Park on the horizon. I look forward to where this new chapter of leadership takes us.”
Sandquist is a graduate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. Before her time at the City, Sandquist was the Recreation Supervisor for the City of Kirkland, Washington, where she managed operations of a full-service community center. Throughout her fifteen years of experience, she has served in a variety of roles in parks and recreation departments. She is actively involved in the National Recreation and Park Association, where she participates on several committees.
“It is an honor to be selected to continue to serve Fishers in this new role. Our parks, recreation activities, and events are essential to building community and a sense of place,” said Sandquist. “I look forward to collaborating with the community and continuing to grow our opportunities.”
Sandquist will begin as Director on Friday, August 31.
To learn more about the Fishers Parks & Recreation Department and upcoming parks initiatives, visit playfishers.com.