After years of dedicated service, Max Korten, Director of Marin County Parks, has announced that he will be leaving his position in October to take on a new challenge as Deputy General Manager for the East Bay Regional Park District.
Korten has led Parks since 2016 after he succeeded the retired Linda Dahl; he assumed the helm following short tenures of two interim directors. Korten started in Marin as a parks superintendent in 2014 and had previous experience with the Conservation Corps North Bay, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
Korten, an East Bay resident the past 15 years, said he views the opportunity with Oakland-based East Bay Regional Parks as a chance to take on challenges in his own backyard after he starts the new job October 8. The transition, however, is bittersweet.
“Being Director of Marin County Parks has been a dream job, and I have been incredibly fortunate to work with an outstanding team,” Korten said. “I’m really proud of the progress that Marin County Parks has made in the past decade and leave knowing we have an outstanding group of leaders ready to keep moving this great work forward.”
Korten’s contributions to Marin County Parks over the past decade have been significant. He played a vital role in various initiatives, including:
- Helping to pass the renewal of the countywide sales tax measure known as Measure A, ensuring continued funding for parks, open space, and farmland preservation.
- Acquiring community priority properties such as Bowman Canyon, Bald Hill, Bucks Landing, and the Tiburon Ridge (also known as the Martha Property), enhancing the county’s conservation efforts.
- Eliminating park entrance fees, making parks more equitable and accessible to all residents.
- Developing strong partnerships with local fire agencies to address fuels reduction, significantly contributing to community safety.
- Partnering with One Tam agencies on landscape-level science, community engagement, and key projects like the Roys Redwoods Restoration and Bolinas Wye Sea Level Rise adaptation.
- Planning and delivering trail projects such as Ponti Ridge and Eagle Rock Trail, which meet multiple goals including sustainability, environmental impact reduction, and improved safety and accessibility.
- Supporting economic recovery during the pandemic, assisting business owners in reconnecting with public health officials and reopening successfully.
Korten’s leadership was also instrumental in the integration of diversity, equity, and belonging into all aspects of the department’s work.
“From One Tam to the California Cleaner Coast initiative, Max and his team have done tremendous work to make sure voices were heard and the community was represented in the decision-making process,” said District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, President of the Marin County Board of Supervisors. “With his leadership, the Parks team collaborated across agencies and environmental organizations to sustain biodiversity and elevate stewardship practices that help protect the things that make Marin’s landscapes and open space so special.”
A nationwide recruitment effort will begin soon to identify a new director for Marin County Parks, which oversees more than 18,500 acres of open space, 34 open space preserves, 45 parks and other recreational facilities, and 150 staff members (full-time plus part-time and seasonal).
Marin County Executive Derek Johnson, who plans to appoint an interim Parks director soon, said: “Max has provided strong leadership and brought stability to Marin County Parks and the County. He has set a high standard, and we’ll be searching for a new director who is just as collaborative and will continue Max’s dedication to protecting and improving our environmental stewardship, which is a big part of his legacy.”
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