GVR appoints Blackshear as new executive director

The Green Valley Recreation’s board of directors Tuesday hired a permanent executive director—Anndrea Blackshear who has been acting director for the past five months.

Blackshear, a GVR employee since 2000, has a career in recreation jobs, starting shortly after she graduated from Brigham Young University.

After announcing her appointment, GVR President Lou Lovat said he “wished her success” in her career managing the multimillion-dollar operation.

He said “Anndrea has proven that she has the capability to assume the leadership role of GVR during the past five months as interim executive director.

She’ll make $78,000 a year to start, Lovat said, adhering to GVR’s corporate policy manual that requires public disclosure of the pay.

She succeeds Jeff Ziegler who resigned last spring to manage a Tubac-area homeowners’ association.

Blackshear thanked the board for showing its “confidence in me,” and vowed to work to make GVR “the best organization in the country.”

She said things are progressing on two major projects, Phase III at Las Campanas recreation center and the Canoa Ranch project.

She said there’ll be a ribbon-cutting ceremony Oct. 16 at the Canoa Ranch recreation center, an oft-delayed major social center.

She said the site has been excavated, graded and compacted, but “It was a surprise when we found the topography furnished GVR and the contractor was in error thus the quantities of work were erroneous.” She said, however, that discovery won’t cost GVR more money.

She also said the site for the construction at Las Campanas has been fenced and “we are waiting for Pima County to sign off” on some of the plans before work actually starts.”

And she announced that Meritage Homes will provide up to $130,000 for furniture and equipment at Canoa Ranch, or contribute to an escrow account to help with furnishings.

A native Arizonan, Blackshear was raised in Benson.

She has worked for the federal Morale, Welfare and Recreation program at Fort Huachuca and in Germany; Provo, Utah; parks and recreation and the city of Sierra Vista.

She has received the Young Professional Award from the National Recreation and Parks Association, the Emerson Hall Young Professional Award from the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association, APRA, and ARPA’s Professional Service Award and its Tenderfoot Award.

Her autobiography said the American Biographical Institute named her Woman of the Year in 1990 and in 1993, the American Society and Business Institute listed her in its “Who’s Who Registry of Rising Young Americans.”

jlamb@gvnews.com