Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh has appointed a new parks commissioner for the city, Syracuse.com reported Friday. Julie LaFave will replace Lazarus Sims as commissioner, several months after Sims was suspended from the position and charged with third-degree grand larceny.

LaFave worked as deputy parks commissioner since January 2018. She reported to Sims directly prior to his departure. She has been running day-to-day operations in the parks department since March, when Sims was first suspended, according to Syracuse.com.

Sims, a former Syracuse University basketball player, resigned early last month after pleading guilty to stealing more than $5,000 from city taxpayers. He said in a letter to the mayor that he stole the money because he “fell on hard times.”

“That’s a matter that has already been resolved, and I’m in this position to move forward,” LaFave said about her former boss in an interview with The Daily Orange.

Before coming to Syracuse, LaFave worked as director of parks and recreation in the town of Sullivan, about 30 minutes east of Syracuse. She has two post-secondary degrees, as well as 15 years of experience in recreation and recreation management.

Walsh in a statement to Syracuse.com said LaFave has the right skill set for the job.

“She loves Syracuse, and I know she will give everything she’s got to make our facilities, operations, programs and workplace the best they can be,” Walsh told Syracuse.com in a statement.

LaFave will manage more than 1,000 acres of parks and more than 250 employees, per Syracuse.com. The position pays about $70,000 a year, according to past payroll records.

Workers tend rose bushes in Thornden Park, just east of Main Campus. Daily Orange File Photo

LaFave said since she’s taken on the responsibilities of the role, the department has been trying to implement procedures that are meant to make registration for parks programs more customer service-based. While summer 2018 parks programs are already well underway, the planning and revisions done now will affect future programming, she added.

A new playground is in the works at Lower Onondaga Park, she said, and various other parks and pools will be inspected to see what needs maintenance.

“I just want to increase how we serve the public because we are here to serve the public,” LaFave said.

She added that she’d like to involve more SU students with the parks department, especially because several parks are frequented by students. Thornden Park is located near Main Campus, and Mayfest is held annually in Walnut Park.

To LaFave, the more than 20,000 students that reside in the city during the academic year are just as important as city residents themselves.

“I would love to sit down with them and see, ‘What do they want to see here?’” LaFave said. “The door is always open to start that conversation. I would encourage any students to reach out to me and our department.”

Walsh also hired Syracuse native Jimmy Oliver as deputy parks commissioner to replace LaFave. Oliver graduated from Henninger High School and attended both Cazenovia and Le Moyne Colleges. He previously worked in Lynchburg, Virginia. His salary is $60,000 a year.

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Published on June 29, 2018 at 9:52 pm

Contact Colleen: cefergus@syr.edu | @ColleenEFergus2