Parks staff describe reorganization: forestry and buildings move under Public Works Operations, new fund-development unit created

Anna Knoetso, director of Cultural and Enrichment Services, updated the Oshkosh Advisory Parks Board that the city has reorganized divisions so that forestry and buildings & grounds now sit under the Public Works Operations director (Ryan Lemke). Knoetso said the change is intended to improve operational continuity while staff continue weekly coordination to avoid service gaps.

Knoetso said marketing and fund-development roles are being repositioned: marketing and communications are moving into a newly created communications and engagement division, while a fund-development team will be housed at the museum with two positions (one posted and recruiting). “Fund development is a really key division that…is going to work to make our funding more sustainable,” she said.

Board members asked where capital improvement planning (CIP) would sit after the reorganization and whether parks projects might lose priority. Knoetso said capital planning will be a distinct division and that she and Chad will coordinate on park CIP projects and prioritization. A board member said she feared large workloads under a single public‑works director could mean parks projects are deprioritized; Knoetso and staff responded that CIP projects will be reviewed across divisions and prioritized according to citywide priorities.

No formal action was taken; staff said they will continue coordination and return with updates as the organizational structure solidifies.