Ashlea A. Boyle is the director of the Parks and Recreation Department for the city of Kerrville, Texas, where she has managed more than 26 parks facilities and a staff of 50 full-time employees since 2017. As the director of parks and recreation, she oversees the development, maintenance and operation of all recreational facilities owned by the city, serving more than 25,000 residents with access to its outdoor and sports spaces. Responsible for administering an annual budget of over $4 million, she works with employees, residents, and other stakeholders to develop programming, budgets, and long-range plans that will best serve the community for years to come. In addition to her administrative and leadership duties, Ms. Boyle remains active in the day-to-day operations of the facilities she oversees, conducting hands-on checks and inspections, assisting in marketing and public relations projects, and engaging with parks users and members of the Kerrville community.
Under Ms. Boyle’s guidance, the Kerrville Parks and Recreation Department has increased community engagement by more than 300% and has expanded its public programming to include a farmer’s market, the Movies in the Park and Concerts by the River series, and a local skateboarding competition. Recently, she became a part of the Kerrville 2050 long-range city planning initiative, created in partnership with numerous other municipal government departments to build a comprehensive 30-year development plan for the Parks and Recreation Department that ensures that it continues to have the direction and resources to grow alongside the community at large. Ms. Boyle considers her work on the Kerrville 2050 project to be one of the highlights of her career, and in 2021, she was presented with the Kerrville Economic Development Corporation’s Top 40 Award for Outstanding Performance in Community Engagement, Tourism and Economic Development.
Before being named the city of Kerrville’s director of parks and recreation, Ms. Boyle spent nearly a decade in various administrative positions with the city, developing an interdisciplinary approach to management that she carried with her into the role. She joined the city of Kerrville in 2008 as a parks and recreation manager, rising to become special projects manager in 2012. After four years as special projects manager, Ms. Boyle became assistant director of parks and recreation, serving for a year before her promotion to her current position. She hopes to remain with Kerrville city government in the future and looks forward to the opportunity to become an executive director one day and expand her duties.
Ms. Boyle began her career as a lifeguard and coach, and entered parks administration in 2004 as the aquatics program supervisor for the city of New Braunfels, Texas. She coached other lifeguards in competition, leading them to four state-level championship wins during this period. Ms. Boyle holds numerous professional credentials in aquatic facilities management, including certification as a pool operator from the National Swimming Pool Foundation, as a lifeguard instructor from the International Lifeguard Training Program, and as a park and recreation professional through the National Recreation and Park Association. As a part of her commitment to professional growth, she has completed coursework through the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service and the Colorado Parks & Recreation Association’s Rocky Mountain Revenue Management School. Ms. Boyle holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Texas State University and anticipates returning to school to pursue a master’s degree within the next few years.
Reflecting on her career, Ms. Boyle credits her success to hard work, good timing and the support of her family and colleagues. She emphasizes the importance of mentors and managers who recognized her talents and encouraged her to pursue her goals, and hopes to one day have the opportunity to become Kerrville’s deputy city manager. In her personal time, Ms. Boyle enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, camping, and kayaking with her family, and is active in area wilderness clean-ups and community charitable efforts.
