Paul Ronan, recently named general manager of the Ontario Parks Association (OPA), brings over 26 years of public and private service in the parks, facility and landscape sectors to his new position.

OPA and LO have jointly hired Paul Ronan. Both associations raise awareness for the economic, environmental, aesthetic, therapeutic, recreational, tourism and life enhancement benefits of green space, gardens, landscapes and parks. LO assumed the management services for the OPA last year.

Ronan is also past president of OPA, and owner/operator of his own landscape business.

“I am pleased to announce that Paul Ronan is joining the OPA and the LO families,” said LO executive director Tony DiGiovanni. “He takes on the role of general manager of OPA, as well as working with Sally Harvey in LO’s education and training department. Paul brings many years of management experience to the job, most recently as a highly respected director of Toronto Parks.”

Ronan will manage OPA and assist Sally Harvey in developing and delivering education and training programs to the green industry. “Both LO and OPA are in the green space business and there is a great deal of overlap between the two distinct but separate sectors,” says Ronan. The new OPA manager explains that he wants to expand the network of industry professionals across the province and across Canada.

“Our slogan is protecting tomorrow today,” says Ronan.  Areas that he plans to focus on include re-connecting the OPA with municipalities, expanding liaisons with like associations involved in parks and recreation and improving safety training for park workers.

Former OPA manager Ken Tomihiro is assisting in the transition and will be taking on new challenges and special projects within LO.

Paul Ronan’s email addresses are pronan@landscapeontario.com, paulr@landscapeontario.com, and paul@opassoc.on.ca.