Brian Kruse joined the City of Blue Ash in 2004 and was named director of Parks & Recreation in January 2019. The Blue Ash Parks & Recreation Department is responsible for the operation, programming, and maintenance associated with all of Blue Ash’s wonderful recreational amenities, including Summit Park, the Nature Park and Amphitheatre, the Blue Ash Golf Course, and the Cooper Creek Event Center. The department is also responsible for the Blue Ash Recreation Center, Towne Square and Bicentennial Veterans Memorial, Sports Center, Hunt House, and the Hazelwood Community Center. In his career with the City of Blue Ash, Brian has worked in multiple areas of the Parks and Recreation Department and has focused on managing Blue Ash’s high-level parks, centers and amenities. As assistant director, Brian gained broad experience working closely as an operational manager with Golf Maintenance, Cooper Creek Event Center, Recreation and Park Maintenance. In his role as director, Brian will oversee all areas of the Parks and Recreation Department while also working closely with Blue Ash City Council and the City Manager’s office. Brian completed his undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University and earned his master’s degree from the University of Alabama.

Clete Benken is a Landscape Architect and Partner with MKSK - a multi-disciplinary planning and design firm practicing throughout the Midwest region. Over his 28 years of professional practice Clete has served as project manager or principal-in-charge for a wide array of project types including neighborhood planning and design, downtown district redevelopment, parks and recreation, and mixed-use commercial, residential, and institutional work in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, California, and Connecticut. Clete understands that the quality of our built environment must be measured in more than simple financial terms and that social, cultural, and aesthetic considerations play an equal role in the success or failure of our professional endeavors. He is a frequent speaker at local and regional planning conferences and serves as a volunteer member of his Neighborhood’s Community Improvement Corporation in Cincinnati, Ohio. Clete and his wife are proud parents of two college-aged children. Clete enjoys cycling, golf, and traveling with his friends and colleagues.