Ted Miller, chief landscape architect for Preservation Parks of Delaware County, has been named the new director of the city of Delaware’s Parks and Natural Resources Department.
“I’m very grateful and humbled by this amazing opportunity,” Miller said in a statement issued by the city. “I want to work closely with our residents and staff to improve our parks and the development of new parks, trails and natural areas.”
Miller has worked for Preservation Parks since 2004, where his resume said he led “a team of professionals to design and construct a variety of projects.” Before that, he was a landscape architect for Stults & Associates/Floyd Brown Group. Miller is a registered landscape architect and has a degree in landscape architecture from Ohio State University. He lives in Waldo.
“Ted is a great addition to the city team and ready to lead parks and natural resources,” Delaware City Manager Tom Homan said in a statement. “His background, depth of experience and training will be invaluable to the department and our residents.”
Delaware’s parks and natural resources include 24 parks, 20 miles of bike trails, more than 15,000 trees, a 72-acre cemetery and nine-hole golf course. Opening soon are a dog park, Veterans Plaza and a spray-and-play splash pad at Veterans Park. The city is completing a multi-million dollar park improvement program following the passage of a parks levy.
“We do an excellent job of maintaining our parks assets, and now will have strategic leadership and direction at the higher management level,” Homan said.
For the last couple of years, the city has contracted for recreation services with the YMCA of Central Ohio.
There were 65 applicants for the position. At a recent open house for the position’s three finalists, Miller told The Gazette that Delaware offers many opportunities.
“One of the things that interested me is the opportunities that are available here in Delaware with a lot of the natural features, like the river, and the tributaries, but it’s also a growing community,” Miller said. He said he is interested in “working with neighboring townships to make sure we have a cohesive unit; and also working with the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, which is really focusing on Franklin and Delaware counties to make sure there’s a trail network in place that includes some of those fast-growing areas. There’s just so many opportunities in Delaware, it’s exciting.”
Miller’s annual salary will be $84,000. He begins May 4.
