CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman County Parks and Recreation (CCPR) has a new director following the retirement of former director Doug Davenport. Brought on in March 2024 as the assistant director, Kenneth Cornelius made his way to the director’s seat in June.
Cornelius, while new to the position, is no newcomer to business and development. Having built and owned several businesses throughout his adult life, Cornelius was tapped for the CCPR assistant director position with the knowledge that Davenport was near retirement. The Cullman County Commission had hoped that Cornelius’ prior business development experience and expertise would be invaluable for the upcoming renovation and expansion of the Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center, which is set to begin in 2025.
“I was hired in March as assistant director, but I was on special assignment – rebuilding the (Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center) here,” Cornelius smiled as he spoke about the upcoming renovation and expansion. “So when I came on that was the first thing they wanted me to focus on.”
When Davenport retired in June, Cornelius jumped into the director’s seat and took hold of the grounds, staff and care of the entirety of the County’s parks system. The Cullman County parks system is comprised of five public parks and recreation areas: Sportsman Lake Park, Smith Lake Park, Stony Lonesome OHV Park, Clarkson Covered Bridge and the Cullman County Agricultural Trade Center. With an expansive coverage area of more than 1,500 acres, the parks operate with a proficient crew of just over 30 employees; a number of those are administrative.
Cornelius chuckled and said, “The existing staff has been tremendous in making that transition for me because I have never worked in day-to-day operations in the parks. I’d done some, but it was mainly the business side of it all, so I had no idea.”
Each park runs individually, as its own unit, but Cornelius said he understands the value of the work ethic his team possesses. The small but mighty team is the backbone of the day-to-day operations of the parks. Often, park employees are the faces of the parks for all who visit and use the amenities.
Cornelius is a businessman, one who understands the importance of financial support to keep operations going. Cornelius has allowed park directors to designate which of their parks’ wants and needs should be covered by public donations. For example, all donations made to Sportsman Lake Park for the foreseeable future will fund a pavilion with picnic table seating in the splash pad enclosure.
“These donations will help us accomplish these things faster and help revitalize the parks,” shared Cornelius. “They (the park directors) pick the project; they know it better than I do.”
Improvements for other parks are on the horizon as well, with new cabins for Smith Lake Park, new trails at Stony Lonesome and various new pavilions throughout the parks.
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