Jeff Rasmussen has been selected to lead the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation, filling the shoes of Fred Hayes, the division’s director who died in March.
Rasmussen has worked for the agency overseeing the state’s park system for 25 years, serving as deputy director under Hayes.
Since taking the parks’ helm in 2012, Hayes and Rasmussen retooled the agency to attract more visitors and achieve solvency after a long period of heavy subsidies. Their vision, which called for new recreational opportunities such as biking and motorized trails, yurts, paddleboard rentals, zip lines and even yoga, is credited with putting the state parks on a sound footing.