Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman to Speak at Kent State’s 2015 HR Summit

KENT, Ohio - Dec. 16, 2014 - PRLog -- Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland Metroparks, Brian Zimmerman, will be the keynote speaker at the 2015 HR Summit: Engaged, Enabled, Energized on April 6, 2015.

As CEO, Zimmerman is responsible for the overall management of nearly 23,000 acres. This includes 18 park reservations, eight golf courses, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, hundreds of miles of parkways and trails and more than 500 employees that serve approximately 40 million visitors annually.

The theme for the 2015 HR Summit is Engaged, Enabled, Energized. The conference will feature six individual breakout sessions, each 50 minutes in length. Call for proposals opened on Dec. 1 and will close on Jan. 5, 2015. Topics to be presented should focus on:

·         Employee Recognition

·         Employee Development

·         Employee Wellness Programs

·         Community Connections

·         Volunteerism

To submit a proposal for presentation, visit https://cobamarketing.wufoo.com/forms/2015-hr-summit-call-for-proposals/.

“Mr. Zimmerman and his Cleveland Metroparks journey are the perfect opener for this year’s HR Summit,” said Kristin Williams, Director of Career Services at Kent State’s College of Business Administration. “The conference theme of employee engagement matches the mission of the Metroparks to get Northeast Ohioans engaged and to “come out and play,” in the Metroparks.  We hope his talk will inspire our corporate attendees to consider the Metroparks in their own engagement efforts.”

Zimmerman was selected as executive director of Cleveland Metroparks in January 2010, only the sixth director in the park’s 97-year history. He served as Cleveland Metroparks chief of operations from 2007 to 2010 and prior as golf operations manager from 2002 to 2007 for the Milwaukee County Parks, Recreation and Culture department. In January 2013, Zimmerman’s title was changed to the Cleveland Metroparks Chief Executive Officer.

In addition to his role with the Metroparks, Zimmerman serves on the Positively Cleveland Board of Trustees, the National Recreation and Park Association Public Policy Committee, the Golf Course Superintendents Association Membership Standards Committee, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress Board, the Flats Forward Board of Directors, St. Edward High School Board of Trustees and various committees at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Brunswick, Ohio. In 2011, he was named a recipient of Crain’s Cleveland Business “40 Under 40” Award.

The 2015 HR Summit will be held in the Kent State Student Center on April 6, 2015 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The event is free for students, but they must register in advance. Registration will open in January. The fee for faculty and staff attendees is $20.00 and $50.00 for corporate attendees. The HR Summit is sponsored by The College of Business Administration and the Kent State HR Division.

For more information regarding the 2105 HR Summit, contact Assistant Professor Mark Whitmore of the Management and Information Systems Department  at (330) 672-1154.

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Cleveland Metroparks is a separate political subdivision of the state of Ohio. It is governed by a three-member board of volunteer Park Commissioners who are appointed by the presiding judge of the Cuyahoga County Probate Court. Cleveland Metroparks was established in 1917 and is dedicated to conservation, education and recreation.

Kent State University’s College of Business Administration is one of only 180 colleges or schools of business worldwide to achieve dual accreditation in both business and accounting from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International, the global accrediting body providing specialized accreditation at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral level.  The College of Business Administration is home to 4,502 students, the second largest college of business in Ohio.  The college boasts a satellite office of Kent State University’s Career Services Center dedicated to business students, and operates the Global Management Center, the Center for Information Systems and the Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation all propelling scholarly research, establishing innovative industry partnerships and providing outreach to Northeast Ohio and beyond.