Park and Recreation Department

101 20th Street South

Irondale, AL 35210

Monday - Thursday

6am - 4:30pm

Park and Recreation Director – Rich Blankenship

Rich Blankenship has 8 years of experience in Park and Recreation most recently as Park Manager while working with the City of Moody. He has overseen youth programs in Baseball, Softball, Flag Football, Basketball, Tackle Football, Cheerleading, Soccer and Tee Ball. Blankenship also has over 20 years of active-duty service to the U.S. Air Force, now retired. Most notably, he was the regional operations manager for the recruiting office in Nashville where he managed more than 100 employees and directed and implemented recruiting plans. He also worked as a district recruiting and sales manager in Jackson, Tenn. and a health professions recruiter in Gainesville, Fla. Blankenship has a master’s degree in management from Ohio Christian University,  bachelor’s degree in business management, organizational development from Bethel University and an associate degree in human resource management from the Community College of the Air Force.

Rich and his wife, Christy, reside in Moody and they have four children, Dylan, Parker, Rayleigh, and Max.

About Irondale Parks

The City of Irondale is committed to providing vibrant parks and green spaces to promote healthy recreation for our citizens and visitors.  Our parks and green spaces improve the quality of life for our citizens and preserves our most precious natural resources.  We encourage you to visit one of our parks and enjoy the bliss of convening with nature.

Irondale Parks and Recreation Office is responsible for maintaining the city’s (6) parks and numerous green spaces. Our parks have received statewide recognition for their cleanliness and beautification.  

The Irondale Park Committee

The Irondale Park Committee is responsible for the overall strategic planning and programming of all Irondale parks.  The park committee consists of citizens appointed by the Irondale City Council and the Director of the Parks and Recreation Department.   The committee is chaired by a city council member assigned by the City Council President.