Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Modano Arena Manager Named Westland Parks and Recreation Director

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 734.422.1230

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Modano Arena Manager Named Westland Parks and Recreation Director

Westland, MI - The Westland City Council unanimously approved the appointment of Brian Harnos as the new Parks and Recreation Director at their January 2nd meeting. Harnos has served as the interim Parks and Recreation Director since November.

Prior to his current appointment, Harnos served as the Municipal Services Director, managing the City of Westland's golf course and Mike Modano Ice Arena. He has held that position since 2010 when he transitioned from his role as the City's Department of Public Service Superintendent. He began his career with the City of Westland at the Westland Municipal Golf Course in 1997, when he was only 15 years old.

" Brian is a longtime employee of the city and has worked his way up from the ground floor to his current position. While serving as the interim Director, I have been impressed with his ability to step into a challenging position and manage it at a high level while maintaining his other responsibilities," commented Mayor Wild. "As a successful organization, I believe that it is imperative that the City of Westland creates viable career paths of advancement so we don't lose our talented employees to a very competitive job market."

The Westland City Council voted unanimously to confirm Harnos' appointment to the Parks and Recreation Director position.

"I am honored to have been selected by Mayor Wild for the City's Parks & Recreation Director and extremely thankful that the Council has exhibited overwhelming support for my appointment. I have dreamed of serving in this position since I was 15 years old, cleaning golf carts for free at the Westland Municipal Golf Course," commented Harnos. "As MSB Director, I have worked closely with previous Parks and Recreation Directors, including my mentor, State Representative Robert Kosowski, as well as other department heads and residents. I have a unique insight into the challenges and responsibilities involved with the position and I am excited to tackle these head on. My top priorities are to expand the city's relationships with local sports organizations, teams clubs and groups and to ensure all of our parks are safe, clean and continue to see improvements year after year."

For more information, please call Aubrey Berman at (734)467-3200

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Westland Fire Department are licensed paramedics who responded to over 9,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more than 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.