Parks and recreation director to oversee county’s Division of Human Services
Chesterfield County announced today James D. Worsley as its new deputy county administrator for Human Services. Worsley currently serves as the county’s Parks and Recreation director. The Board of Supervisors is expected to appoint him at its Aug. 26 meeting, and he will begin his new role effective Oct. 1.
In his current role, Worsley leads the county’s Parks and Recreation Department serving as a key advisor to the county administrator and the Board of Supervisors. Responsible for maintaining more than 180 parks, playgrounds, and athletic facilities and leading the county’s sports tourism efforts, the Parks and Recreation Department received state and national recognition during Worsley’s tenure.
In 2017, KABOOM!, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids, designated Chesterfield as a most Playful City USA. In 2019, the Parks and Recreation Department was the recipient of the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award – Gold Medal for the Dutch Gap Relic River Trail and Water Access. Recognized for its innovation and significant environmental contributions, the Dutch Gap project won in the implementation of the Virginia Outdoors Plan category. Additionally, Chesterfield became the first Parks and Recreation Department in the Richmond region, and 11th in the state, to earn accreditation from the Commission for Accreditation of Parks and Recreation Agencies, or CAPRA. This designation signifies the county’s Parks and Recreation Department has met all 151 standards of best practices for efficient and effective operations while providing enhanced services to the public.
For his efforts to enhance Chesterfield’s park facilities and programming, Worsley was recently selected to receive the National Distinguished Professional Award by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA).
NRPA National Awards are presented to individuals and agencies across the U.S. to honor their efforts, both professional and personal, in the field of parks and recreation. The award will be presented during the 2020 NRPA Virtual Annual Conference in October.
As deputy county administrator for Human Services, Worsley will oversee the daily operations of multiple county departments and programs, including Citizen Information and Resources, Community Corrections Services, Drug Courts, Juvenile Justice Services, Mental Health Support Services and Social Services.
“James was my first hire in 2016, and over the years, I have worked closely with him on a variety of projects and programs serving our citizens,” said Dr. Joe Casey, county administrator. “He is already a recognized department leader and I know he will continue to excel in his new role.”
Before joining the county in August 2016, Worsley served as the parks and recreation director for Columbus, Georgia, a position he was in for five years. Prior to his director position in Columbus, Worsley was the regional parks and recreation manager for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, where he had worked since 2003.
A North Carolina native, Worsley has a doctorate in leadership studies from North Carolina A&T State University and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in recreation management and parks, recreation and tourism, respectively, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He also is a certified park and recreation executive and certified therapeutic recreation specialist.
“Since arriving in 2016, I’ve had the opportunity to build strong relationships with colleagues in human services and community operations divisions, as well as collaborating with many community and regional partners,” said Worsley. “I’m looking forward to working more closely with the human services team as we continue to serve the citizens of Chesterfield County.”
