Galveston Island Park Board of Trustees

Team spotlight on Coastal Zone Management 🔦🤩 July 4 is the busiest day of the year for our beach cleaning team, also known as Coastal Zone Management. This team HAND PICKS 32 miles of beach 365 days a year and works shifts in the middle of the night during the summer, ensuring the beaches stay clean and safe from debris for all beachgoers to enjoy. 🏖️ Today and tomorrow, they will collect thousands of pounds of trash. Last year, there was less debris on the beach than the year before, and we hope the same for this year. Remember to help the team and the environment by leaving only footprints. 👣 #LoveGalveston #teamspotlight #beachcleaning

Help keep Galveston’s beaches beautiful this 4th of July weekend! 🌟🌊 Use Up2U free trash bags and Beach Toy Borrow boxes to keep the beaches clean. Remember to follow the Leave No Trace ordinance by not leaving belongings on the beach overnight. Let’s protect our wildlife and keep Galveston gorgeous for everyone to enjoy! ♻️🏖️ Learn more about how you can help at https://lnkd.in/gbwsgnZ9. #cleangreenpristine #LoveGalveston

Welcome new trustees! 🎉 The Park Board of Trustees seated four board members at its special meeting on July 2. 🌴 Jason Hardcastle and Bill Clement were reappointed to their seats. 🌊 Robert Quintero joined as a new trustee. 🏝️ Bob Brown joins us as the city council representative. At this meeting, trustees also appointed positions of Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary-- all unanimously! 💡 Chair - Jason Hardcastle 📝 Vice Chair - Gerald Wilson 🖊️ Secretary - Sara Goodwin Thank you to all of the volunteers who serve on this board. We are grateful for your time and wisdom, helping us make Galveston the premier beach destination of the Gulf Coast!💖🌞 #LoveGalveston

Today, the Park Board honored now former trustee Jason Worthen for his 6 years of volunteer service to the board. 💚 All trustees and staff shared their commendations and fond memories of their time with Jason at the special meeting of the trustees this afternoon. We are grateful for his commitment to serving our organization over the last 6 years and of course for his continued service to the community. While this afternoon may have felt like a heartfelt "goodbye," it's really "see you later." 😉 You can find Jason on the beach renting all kinds of beach equipment and encouraging ocean adventures with SUP Gulf Coast. 🏄 #LoveGalveston

A little Great Storm history lesson for your Thursday afternoon. 🌀 🌧️ While the 1900 Storm was a devastating loss for Galveston Island, the resiliency displayed by citizens in the aftermath, and after every storm, is astounding. #LoveGalveston #Resiliency #GreatStorm Our Beach Patrol Chief Peter Davis contributed a guest column to the local news over the weekend. Read more Great Storm history below. ** By the time 1900 rolled around, Galveston was the undisputed cultural and recreational center of this part of the country. Almost 500 bars and 50 brothels put it on par with the historically raucous New Orleans, and it ranked second in the country for cotton exports and third in wheat. Dredging ensured a constant flow of vessels in Galveston’s deep-water port, and beautiful mansions lined Broadway, which, at 9 feet of elevation, was the highest street at the time. Although they did not have the early detection systems we enjoy today, brothers Isaac and Joseph Cline ran the Galveston office of the National Weather Service and did their best to warn people of the upcoming storm, now infamously known as the Great Storm... For the full story, head to the Galveston County Daily News at https://bit.ly/3VvdrK8

Last week, the rain delayed a few Juneteenth celebrations on the island. Luckily, Juneteenth history is something that you can witness and honor all year in Galveston. ❤️💙 #JuneteenthBirthplace #JuneteenthinGalveston Park Board CEO Kimberly Danesi contributed a guest column to the local news about how significant Juneteenth is to our city and how the Galveston Park Board supports and shares that message. ** Inclement weather did not dampen the spirits of those in the community celebrating Juneteenth. This event commemorates the date — June 19, 1865 — when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger delivered General Orders No. 3 in Galveston informing more than 250,000 enslaved people in the South they had been freed. Galveston’s place as the birthplace of Juneteenth is significant — in 2021 Juneteenth became a federal holiday. For years, the Park Board has been dedicated to celebrating and remembering this event on June 19 and year-round. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our partners, the list of activities, events and attractions continues to grow giving visitors and residents opportunities to learn more about the historic day... To read the full story, head to The Galveston County Daily News at https://bit.ly/3zrz9ak

It's #NationalPatchDay! 🎨 Artist Annie Arnold created 7 merit badges that capture a few of Galveston Island's signature experiences. Our Visit Galveston team collaborated with her for exhibition at the Galveston Art Center using images posted online by Galveston visitors! #LoveGalveston #localart #galvestonart

Did you know that the movement to make Juneteenth a publicly recognized holiday was started by Texas rep Al Edwards in 1979? Juneteenth became a state holiday in Texas in 1980, long before it was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021. 🇺🇸 Seventh generation Texan Samuel Collins III, also known locally as "Professor Juneteenth," recently congratulated 2024 Medal of Freedom recipient Opal Lee during a trip to Ft. Worth. 🏅✨ We are grateful for passionate local partners like Sam for cultivating and preserving Juneteenth history in Galveston for all to enjoy. 🙌❤️💙 #Juneteenth #JuneteenthinGalveston #JuneteenthBirthplace #LoveGalveston

🎓 Congratulations to Our Leadership Galveston Graduates! 🎓 We are thrilled to announce that several of our Park Board staff members have completed the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce "Leadership Galveston" program! For the past 8 months, these dedicated team members have immersed themselves in learning about Galveston's rich cultural history and the inner workings of our city. Team Graduates: 👨💼 Tony Lyle, Executive Director of Visit Galveston 🌊 Sheryl Rozier, Director of Coastal Projects 🏝️ Larry Jackson, Director of Coastal Zone Management 📰 Mackenzie Finklea, Public Affairs Manager 🎟️ Shawna Reid, Director of Visitor Services Each year, the Galveston Park Board sponsors multiple team members to participate in this impactful program. It's important that our staff understand the place we are promoting to visitors and be active participants in the community. Kudos, Tony, Sheryl, Larry, Mackenzie, and Shawna on this achievement! 🎉👏 #LeadershipGalveston #GalvestonChamber #LoveGalveston

Some Juneteenth events rescheduled! 💙 As Galveston commemorates Juneteenth this month, Visit Galveston and the Galveston Park Board are dedicated to supporting this pivotal moment in American history year-round. 🇺🇸 ✨ Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, marks the emancipation of some of the last enslaved African Americans in the U.S., with special significance in Galveston where General Gordon Granger read General Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865. 📜 Our commitment extends beyond acknowledgment; it's about supporting local partners who actively preserve the legacy and foster a deeper understanding of our shared history. Through grant funds, national advocacy, and strategic marketing, the Galveston Park Board ensures the message of Juneteenth resonates far beyond Galveston's borders. For more information on rescheduled Juneteenth events in Galveston, visit https://lnkd.in/eEwf8x_v. #JuneteenthBirthplace #JuneteenthinGalveston #LoveGalveston