Alternate Phone: 417-864-1327

The Springfield-Greene County Park Board named Bob Belote its Director of Parks in the Summer of 2012. Prior to his appointment, Bob had served as Interim Director for a 6 month period and as Assistant Director for the Park Board since 2006. In his time with the Park Board, Bob has also served as Ownership Representative to the Springfield Lasers World Team Tennis Franchise.

Experience

Bob grew up in Springfield but worked professionally for 13 years managing parks departments in Missouri and Iowa before returning home to Springfield in 2004. During that time, Bob served as Director of Parks and Recreation for the Cities of Independence, Missouri, and Sioux City, Iowa, and as Assistant Director in Blue Springs, Missouri. Through the years, Bob has been very involved professionally with the Missouri Park and Recreation Association, and served as its president in 2003 to 2004. Bob was recently honored with MPRA's top award, the 2013 Fellow Award, for his ongoing contributions to the parks and recreation field.

Education

Bob received his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Missouri State University and his Master's Degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) through the National Recreation and Park Association and a past graduate of NRPA's Executive Development School. Bob is also a graduate of Leadership Springfield (Class 25).

Personal Life

Bob met his future wife, Deana, while working for the Park Board many years ago as Youth Baseball Coordinator. They have 2 children, Alex and Abbey, and their family was recognized as the United States Tennis Association's "Tennis Family of the Year" for the Missouri District in 2011. In addition to his passion for our local parks, Bob also enjoys following the local music scene and going to the lake with family and friends.