Press Releases
Montgomery County Department of Recreation Director Graduates from Presidential Leadership Scholars Program
For Immediate Release: Thursday, July 27, 2017
Gabe Albornoz, Director of the Montgomery County Department of Recreation, graduated from the Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) program in Dallas, Texas on July 13. He was one of 60 scholars from across the country and shared the stage with President William Jefferson Clinton and President George W. Bush.
Of the program Albornoz said, “PLS was inspirational and powerful. I was truly honored to participate and will use the knowledge and network and apply them to our community.”
County Executive Ike Leggett appointed Albornoz to serve as Director of the Department of Recreation in January 2007. At age 30, Albornoz became the youngest cabinet-level appointment in the history of Montgomery County.
"I extend my deepest congratulations to Gabe on his graduation from the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program,” said Leggett. “Gabe is an accomplished public servant who has worked hard to ensure that residents, especially our most vulnerable, have access to safety net services. I know he will use all that he learned in the program to continue to improve the lives of our County residents.”
Albornoz is responsible for overseeing 39 recreation facilities including community recreation centers, aquatic centers, and senior centers; more than 3,000 employees; and managing the department’s $33 million budget.
Under his leadership the Department of Recreation has received more than 60 national and state awards for program and administrative excellence. Through all of its programs and facilities, the Department of Recreation serves more than 400,000 County residents each year. In addition to serving as Director, he is co-chair of the County Executive's Positive Youth Development Initiative as well as the Senior Sub-Cabinet.
The PLS program, a partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson, is designed for leaders from varied backgrounds who share a commitment to facing society’s greatest challenges. The program seeks participants who have the desire and capacity to take their leadership strengths to a higher level to help their communities, and emboldens them with the practical skills needed to drive solution-oriented action. By including a roster of presidential centers – two Republican and two Democratic –the program created a rare opportunity to instill in scholars a brand of principled leadership that transcends diverse backgrounds.
The PLS program enhances the impact of leaders who are creating change in their communities, our nation, and the world. A first-of-its-kind curriculum and unparalleled opportunity to join a diverse network of change-makers sharpens participants' skills and exposes them to new ideas and thinking. They are led through an exploration of principles that directly help them address a need in society.
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Media Contact: Judy Stiles 240-777-6507