Kirsten Barnes has joined the Association of Aquatic Professionals as the assistant director.
As a graduate of the Missouri State University Recreation & Leisure Studies program, Kirsten’s career in recreation has included overseeing programs serving a variety of populations and managed facilities from golf courses and ice arenas to recreation centers and climbing gyms. Kirsten has been an aquatics coordinator overseeing municipal facilities, staff and programming, oversaw lifeguard management at 24 aquatic facilities and water parks with a private management company, and was a Recreation Director in the St Louis Area. She has been an industry vendor as the Director of HydroApps digital documentation software. Kirsten also works with recreation agencies to provide customized professional development and frontline trainings.
Kirsten has presented almost 100 education sessions at national and regional conferences. She is a past president of the Missouri Parks & Recreation Association, served two years as the marketing and public relations representative for the NRPA Annual Conference Program Committee and has been an AOAP Board Member.
Kirsten is Missouri born and raised and lives with her family in the mountains of Colorado. Hiring Kirsten as the Assistant Director is part of the succession planning and within the strategic plan for AOAP. Kirsten will begin her position with AOAP on April 1, 2024.
We’re excited and honored to welcome our newest member to the AOAP management staff.
