November 17, 2017
Contact: Mary Enger, Communications Director, 636-949-1856, or 636-443-1008, menger@sccmo.org
St. Charles County, Missouri – St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann has appointed Ryan Graham as Director of the St. Charles County Parks and Recreation Department. Graham was confirmed by the St. Charles County Council at its Nov. 13 meeting, and starts his new position on Nov. 27.
“Ryan has been with the Parks Department for the past 11 years,” says Ehlmann, “and he has a proven track record of performance. He has extensive supervisory, project management and planning experience, and I know he will continue to serve the County well in this new role.”
Graham became Superintendent of Historic Sites in April 2016 after serving as Park Historian. In this role, he has been responsible for long-term planning and day-to-day operations for the department’s historic resources and staff, and has been instrumental in instituting broad operational changes at The Historic Daniel Boone Home near Defiance. Prior to coming to St. Charles County, Graham worked for the National Park Service at the Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg, PA., and as a researcher for Tatanka Historical Associates and as cultural resource coordinator for the National Parks Conservation Association’s Center for State of the Parks, both in Fort Collins, Colorado.
In his new role, Graham will manage all aspects of the Parks and Recreation Department’s 12 regional parks. The County operates 3,645 acres of parkland with 96 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees. The department’s mission is to preserve the cultural and national heritage of the county and to provide residents with regional parks that feature high quality recreation facilities and programs for the benefit and enjoyment of county residents.
“We have many dedicated and passionate staff members and thousands of acres of beautiful parkland across St. Charles County,” says Graham. “I look forward to leading the department as we continue to grow to meet the recreational and educational needs of our residents.”
Graham received his Master of Arts Degree in History from Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, and a Bachelor of Science in Historic Preservation from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. He is a member of the National Parks and Recreation Association, the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association and is a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional.
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