KYLE — The city of Kyle announced the addition of David Lopez as the new director of the Parks and Recreation Department.

According to a news release, Lopez brings more than 20 years of parks and recreation experience with an extensive resume in designing, building and sustainably managing park and recreation assets.

“I am honored to be chosen for this role leading the city of Kyle’s Parks and Recreation Department,” Lopez said. “Kyle is overflowing with potential, especially when it comes to our park development and recreation programming. I look forward to getting my feet on the ground and being a part of driving Kyle to its next stage.”

Most recently, Lopez served as an executive leader for the city of Dallas, where he oversaw 410 parks, spanning 20,000 acres including 200 miles of trail and more than 200 athletic fields. Lopez also played a role in achieving and retaining CAPRA accreditation through the National Recreation and Park Association and helped Dallas receive the highest park ranking among all major cities in Texas, according to the Trust for Public Land Park Score.

Prior to joining the city of Dallas, Lopez worked for the cities of North Richland Hills, Texas and Burleson, Texas, where he served in an executive role overseeing parks and planning.

He is a member of the Texas Recreation and Parks Society, National Recreation and Parks Association, DFW Directors Association and Southwest Parks and Recreation, where he served as an executive board member for many years. Lopez earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.

His official start date with the city of Kyle was Wednesday, July 10.