Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau (SMCVB) President Misti Kerns presents Barbara Stinchfield with a caricature of herself during her retirement party at the Annenberg Community Beach House on Saturday, January 1, 2012.

After 31 years of dedicated service to the community, Director of Community & Cultural Services (CCS) Barbara Stinchfield retired from the City of Santa Monica effective December 29, 2011. 

City Manager Rod Gould noted, “Barbara has been instrumental in more than a decade of improvements to the city’s parks, open spaces and public facilities and has nurtured the growth of the city’s human services and cultural arts programs. Her legacy is extensive and the impact of her leadership will be enjoyed by residents and visitors for decades to come.” 

With an operating budget of $47 million and approximately 400 full- and part-time employees, CCS oversees the administration, planning and management of the city’s recreational facilities, culture and arts programs, human services, funding for nonprofit grant programs, and public landscape. In her 14-year tenure as the director of CCS, Stinchfield has overseen the development and implementation of the city’s first Parks & Recreation Master Plan that has resulted in significant improvements to the city’s parks and recreational facilities throughout the city – most recently the Annenberg Community Beach House. The department has received numerous regional and national awards for design excellence in its high profile capital improvement projects and innovative community programming. 

Of her work with the City of Santa Monica, Stinchfield says, “Working with this community has been the opportunity of a lifetime – to participate in the civic life of one of the most incredible cities in the country. As I advanced through the organization, I marveled at what each opportunity gave to me and, in return, what I could give to the city.” 

“There is never an optimal time to leave,” she continued, “however, I am leaving at a time when some major project milestones have been achieved. I have every confidence that the projects, programs and services that are so valued by the community and the City Council will continue to be of the highest quality.” 

Stinchfield will depart as the city begins construction of two new parks in the heart of the Civic Center, following a comprehensive public design process performed under her direction. Both Gould and Stinchfield stressed that the strength and competence of the current CCS management team will ensure a smooth transition to new leadership. 

Prior to becoming Director of the department in 1997, Stinchfield served the city as Human Services Grants Coordinator, Manager of Community and Neighborhood Services and Assistant Director of CCS. Stinchfield has served on the National Board of Trustees of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Human Services Officials and has professional affiliations including the American Society of Landscape Architects, the City Parks Alliance and the California Preservation Foundation.