The City of Coppell has announced Jessica Carpenter as the new Director of Parks & Recreation, effective immediately. Carpenter takes over the role for former director Brad Reid, who retired in March.
Carpenter has been with the City of Coppell since 2010. She has spent the last 5 years serving as the Assistant Director of Recreation, overseeing many of the department’s major projects, including construction of the Coppell Arts Center, reimagining of Celebrate Coppell and reopening of Andrew Brown East, the department’s two-time designation as an NRPA Gold Medal finalist, and CAPRA reaccreditation process. In a desire to innovate the customer service model for the department and the City, Carpenter drew on her love on Disney to bring a progressive and inclusive customer experience framework to Coppell through training and principles learned via the Disney Institute. Prior to her role as Assistant Director, she served as the Aquatics Manager at The CORE, where she was integral in the renovation and rebranding of the facility.
“Throughout Jessica’s time with the City, she has continually demonstrated our values and dedication to the Coppell community,” said Mike Land, City Manager. “Jessica is passionate, and she has an excellent track record of finding innovative ways to engage with our residents while providing them with the educational and recreational opportunities that they desire. I’m excited to see how Jessica leads the Parks and Recreation department into the future.”
Carpenter discovered her passion for parks and recreation early, when she began her career as a lifeguard at age 16. She has a Bachelor of Science in Communications/Journalism and a Master of Science in Recreation, Event and Sport Management from the University of North Texas. She lives in Grapevine with her husband Joseph, their two daughters and two dogs.