The appointment of Kathryn Kravit-Smith to replace retiring Pierce County Parks and Recreation Director Jan Wolcott was announced Aug. 19 by County Executive John W. Ladenburg.

Kravit-Smith will leave her position as Director of Food Safety, Animal Health and Consumer Services at the Washington State Department of Agriculture and begin her new job on Sept. 1.

“Pierce County Parks and Recreation has a future other counties can only imagine,” said Kravit-Smith. “$35 million will be spent on parks over the next few years. It’s an exciting time to be here and an incredible opportunity to help guide the county through its biggest construction phase ever,” she continued.

After launching her park and recreation career as a Neighborhood Recreation Coordinator with the City of Salem, Oregon, Kravit-Smith went on to become the Director of Land Use Planning for the State of Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, followed by Bureau Chief of Recreation for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management and the Operations Division Director for the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.

Altogether, Kravit-Smith brings more than 20 years of progressively responsible parks and recreation public service experience to her new position.

“Kathryn has some big shoes to fill. But her unique combination of drive, experience and a very focused vision made her the right choice for the job,” said Pierce County Chief of Staff, Lyle Quasim.

Kravit-Smith holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bowling Green University in Ohio and a Masters in Business Administration from City University in Bellevue, WA.