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About PARKS

Mission Statement

To be an accountable steward of public park lands and recreation resources and an efficient provider of quality, wholesome leisure services to benefit the body, mind and spirit of all Cobb County residents.

Overview

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Parks and Recreation

Cobb PARKS is a branch of the Cobb County Government, under the jurisdiction of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. An appointed Recreation Board serves as the department's advisory body that provides recommendations for programs, services and facilities.

The Department originated in 1966 as the Cobb County Parks and Recreation Department, and in 1989 was renamed Cobb County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department with the addition of the Arts and Cultural Affairs Department. The Department is divided into three divisions: Administration, Park Operations, and Services. Administration includes the Directors office, business management, and human resource functions. Parks Operations is responsible for maintaining the parks and its structures. The Services Division oversees the programming offered through the department.

Cobb PARKS manages 90 properties, of which 78 are developed parks, that encompass over 6,000 acres. As the primary provider of leisure services and facilities within the county, the department provides a wide range of athletic, artistic, therapeutic and educational services. Specialized facilities include the Cobb County Civic Center Complex, Al Bishop and Lost Mountain Softball Complexes, five recreation centers, five community centers, four arts centers, the Mable House-Barnes Amphitheatre, the Cobb Gymnastics Center, six tennis centers and 13 satellite tennis court locations, four indoor aquatic centers and two outdoor seasonal pools, more than 60 miles of trails, two golf courses and the fairgrounds at Jim Miller Park. The department also operates the Miller Park Event Center as a premier rental facility for special events. The department also serves as a resource for more than 70 of the County's volunteer groups, assisting them in areas such as park use scheduling, incorporation, by-laws and technical expertise. 

Cobb PARKS strives to provide instructional, competitive and social activities for people of all ages. Cobb's facilities provide the opportunity for Cobb County residents to use their leisure time in a constructive, healthy, gratifying and inexpensive manner, and give the county's youth the body-building and mind-expanding opportunity to pursue the recreational activity of their choice. Over 7 million participants took advantage of these programs and facilities during the past year and with the continuing expansion of Cobb's population, the Department will endeavor to maintain its high standard of service to its residents.

Offices

Administration

Cobb Parks Department
1792 County Services Parkway
Marietta, Georgia 30008

(770) 528-8800
(770) 528-8801 (fax)

District Offices

Bishop Zone (Central District)
1772 County Services Parkway
Marietta, Georgia 30008
(770) 528-8890

Noonday Zone (Eastern District)
Noonday Park
489 Hawkins Store Road
Kennesaw, Georgia 30144
(770) 591-3160

Mountain Zone (Western District)
Lost Mountain Park
4845 Dallas Hwy
Powder Springs, Georgia 30127
(770) 528-8890

Recreation Board

The Recreation Board is appointed by the Board of Commissioners and meets monthly with no meeting in December.  The current meeting schedule and meeting agendas are linked in the downloads section below.  Unless noted otherwise, all meetings are held at the PARKS Administration Building at 1792 County Services Parkway, Marietta at 6:00PM.

 Administration

Position Email Phone
Director Michael Brantley (770) 528-8800
Division Director, Services Mario Henson (770) 528-8806
Division Director, Operations Derrell Walker (770) 528-8827
Division Manager of Business Services Melanie Johnson (770) 528-8834
Human Resources Dept. Rep. Elizabeth Hansard (770) 528-8815

Services

Position Email Phone
Aquatics Manager Natalia Smith (770) 528-8817
Special Events Manager Wendy Goss (770) 528-8800
Natural Resources Manager Charlie Monroe (770) 528-8840
Recreation Program Manager Clinton Jones (770) 528-8845
Tennis Manager Mark Chandler (770) 528-8831
Arts Program Manager Marie Jernigan (770) 528-8811

Operations

Position Email Phone
Division Manager of Capital Programs Jordan Woods (770) 528-8807
Parks Maintenance Superintendent (Bishop Zone) Josh Bryant (770) 528-8830
Parks Maintenance Superintendent (Mountain Zone) David Biddy (770) 528-8890
Parks Maintenance Superintendent (Noonday Zone) Mackie Temple (770) 591-3162

Archived Recreation Board Meeting Agendas and Minutes