Nathaniel
O. Wilkins is
Director of the Parks and Recreation Department for the City of North Miami,
Florida, after serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the National Recreation
and Parks Association.
Nathaniel
O. Wilkins is
Director of the Parks and Recreation Department for the City of North Miami,
Florida, after serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the National Recreation
and Parks Association.
Wilkins was formerly employed as the Assistant Director for the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. He has also served as Superintendent of Recreation for the Kansas City Missouri Parks and Recreation Department. As the past National Chair for the Roundtable Associates, Inc, a National Recreation, Parks and Conservation Association, he continues to work to improve the quality of Park, Recreation and Conservation services for all people. Nathaniel is the recipient of the Roundtable Associates, Inc, 2004 National Outstanding Hero award.
Wilkins is a master strategist when it comes to community organizing, program development and out-of-the-box thinking. He enjoys working with communities and Youth of Promise in particular. He fully embraces the concept of “total community engagement”.
In his work, Wilkins draws upon a broad spectrum of experiences, as he has been involved with community and youth work for over 25 years. He is the creator and producer of several programs such as the nationally recognized award winning late night youth program entitled the Mayor’s Hoops and the Urban Symposium and Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri.
Wilkins has presented to a number of different organizations including but the Department of the Interior, the National Park and Recreation Association, the Florida, Ohio, Missouri and Kansas Park and Recreation Associations, the Roundtable Associates, Inc, The Seattle Black Child Development Institute, USD 501 Topeka High School Student Body, the Illinois Park and Recreation Forum, the National Park Service Superintendents Conference, the Black Women’s Network, National Prevention and Advocates and Professionals Association and the LERN Resources Network. International Convention on Lifelong Learning programming.
In the past, Wilkins hosted a weekly talk show as well as authored several magazine and newspaper articles. He has served on boards of non-profits organizations, foundations and museums associations.
He has received numerous awards and recognitions including the American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration’s Willard Sutherland Award for best practitioner paper. He has also been recognized as the Kansas City Globe 100 Most Influential in 1995 and 1996; International Who’s Who of Professional Management; and an Urban League Volunteer Difference Maker.