Spokane Mayor Mary Verner has named Roger Crum, who served as Spokane's City Manager from 1991 to 1996, as the interim Director of the Parks and Recreation Department. He is expected to start work on Thursday.

"Roger is a superb interim appointment for the Parks Department," says Mayor Verner. "With vast local government experience both in Spokane and elsewhere, Roger has the skills to manage the department and to launch work on the Parks bond projects. We are very fortunate to have this talent in our community."

Crum served in various positions at the City of Spokane for more than 20 years. Other positions he held in Spokane included Deputy City Manager, Assistant City Manager-Administration, and Management Analyst/Technology Agent. After leaving Spokane, he served as the City Manager for Evanston, Ill., until 2004 when he retired.

Since then, he has served as a "range rider" for the Washington City-County Management Association and the International City-County Management Association, assisting various local governments with management issues and projects. He's also provided professional management consulting services and served as the interim City Manager for the City of Medina, Wash.

A national search for a permanent Parks & Recreation Director has already begun. Mayor Verner anticipates that a new director will be named in the first quarter of the year.