Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront in Vermont, has welcomed Nina Safavi as the new Parks Comprehensive Planner.
Nina comes to the department from the Vermont Agency of Transportation, where for the past few years she led innovative and collaborative efforts to utilize data and GIS to improve mapping efforts in the state. She was also invited to share stories of the state's success on a national level.
She also has a strong background in horticulture, trees and landscape management. In her previous position with the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society, the heart of her work was to empower people to improve their communities through sustainable practices. During her tenure, over 3,000 trees were planted annually.
She shows true dedication to building better communities through synergy between our environment and human needs, and strengthening connections between landscapes and people. Nina's professional focus aligns well with BPRW's 7-fold systems theme: People, Wellness, Connection, Stewardship, Community, Service, Impact.
Nina is loving her new job and says, "It's a pleasure to join this talented and dedicated team and have the opportunity to work on projects that enhance community livelihood and natural places. I look forward to working together to make Burlington a very exciting center for parks innovation and excellence."
Nina brings a wealth of experience in partnership building, community engagement, resource management, Urban Forestry and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and she will be an asset in guiding BPRW and future efforts based on our Master Plan.
The Department oversees all of Burlington's 37 Parks, 550+ Acres of Open Space, 3 Public Beaches, Street Trees & Greenways, Community Gardens, 3 Cemeteries, Miller Recreation Center, Leddy Ice Arena, Memorial Auditorium, Campground, Boathouse Marina and all Recreation Programs.