Catawba County News
Wagg Hired to Helm New Parks Department
Published: August 08, 2024
David Wagg has been hired to serve as Parks Director for Catawba County’s newly-established Catawba County Parks department.
Wagg joins the Catawba County team following more than ten years with the City of Orlando’s Parks Division, where he most recently served as Interim Director. His responsibilities included implementing the city’s strategic plan for parks, overseeing park system operations and staff, and managing the division’s $17 million annual parks budget and capital improvement plan.
Wagg has significant experience in facility operations management, which was honed throughout his career. Prior to joining the City of Orlando, Wagg was the national operations manager for CleanEvent, an international company providing cleaning services for sports, leisure and entertainment venues. He also held operations management roles with the Orlando Arena, the Charleston (WV) Civic Center, the Wichita (KS) Wranglers of the AA Texas League, and the Huntington (WV) Cubs of the Rookie Appalachian League. Notably, Wagg was responsible for developing the first full-time athletic facility program for 16 intercollegiate sports as the athletic facility manager for Marshall University.
“David’s wealth of parks experience, strong operational acumen, and enthusiasm for the outdoors will be assets to Catawba County Parks, which are critical to our community’s strong quality of life as evidenced by the thousands of residents and visitors who explore them each year,” said County Manager Mary Furtado.
Previously part of the County’s Planning and Parks department, Catawba County Parks was officially established as a standalone department through the County’s Fiscal Year 24/25 budget process. The decision to split Planning and Parks into two separate departments was based on the rapid increase in demand for both services over the past five years and the importance of each from an economic standpoint.
“Both Planning and Parks are key parts of the Commissioners’ strategic plan to enhance quality of life in Catawba County,” said Furtado. “As our Planning team continues to focus on our balanced approach to future development through the Comprehensive Plan, we are excited to begin this new chapter for our Parks with David at the helm.”
“I am excited to be part of Catawba County’s dynamic team and serve as Parks Director,” said Wagg. “Parks play a critical role in making living better, and I look forward to contributing to the development of the department.”
About Catawba County Parks
Established July 3, 1999, with the opening of Riverbend Park in Conover, Catawba County Parks include Bakers Mountain Park and St. Stephens Park in Hickory and Mountain Creek Park in Sherrills Ford. Encompassing nearly 1,500 acres of preserved natural habitat designed for passive recreation, Catawba County Parks allow visitors to immerse themselves in Catawba County’s great outdoors. Amenities include a combined 45 miles of hiking and biking trails, dog parks, playgrounds, picnic shelters, fishing piers, pickleball courts, mountain bike pump tracks, a mountaintop observation deck, and paddling access to the Catawba River and Lake Norman. Staffed by professional park rangers, Catawba County Parks are open 362 days per year with seasonally-adjusted hours to maximize available daylight. For more information, visit CatawbaCountyParks.org.