Neighborhood resident and longtime community supporter Joan Walne has been nominated to be chairman of the Dallas Parks and Recreation Board following the resignation of former chairman Mike Rawlings to run for mayor. According to a DMN report, Walne — currently the board’s vice chairman — ran today’s meeting. Her new post requires city council approval.
I just saw Walne yesterday at a Chick-fil-A restaurant, where she was helping a daughter care for a couple of grandkids. Walne pointed to her daughter’s wrist, which was in a cast, and said she’s helping out until the wrist heals; her daughter said she was grateful to have her mother helping as “nanny” for the day.
The parks board manages maintenance for existing parks, as well as approves funding for new park initiatives in the city. Walne was instrumental in bringing the spray park to the LH North recreation center, as well as helping shepherd the ongoing improvements at the center (it has been closed since late last summer for renovations). Walne also was the only parks board member to recently vote against construction of a new soccer complex (Elm Fork), saying that the city needs to be able to properly maintain existing facilities prior to building new ones.
