Council Connection: Recreation Center Planning and Design

Stacey Dicke is the Executive Director of the New Braunfels Youth Collaborative, a 501c3 non-profit focused on serving middle school and high school students during their out of school time. 

Stacey took on this new role in June, 2023 after retiring from a 32-year career in parks and recreation. Previously, Stacey was the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of New Braunfels from 2004-2023, overseeing 700+ acres of parkland and facilities. Under her leadership the Department received the Texas Recreation and Parks Society’s Distinguished Gold Medal award in 2010, 2016, and 2023, and was a National Gold Medal finalist in 2020, 2021, and 2023. The Department was accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies in 2020.
Prior to New Braunfels, Stacey worked for several organizations including the City of Waco, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the City of Arlington (Texas).

 Stephen Springs, FAIA, is a managing partner at Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects, a Dallas-based firm specializing in public architecture. With 30 years of experience, Stephen is BSW’s practice lead for planning and design of recreation centers and aquatic facilities for public-sector clients.

Stephen is a member the American Institute of Architects College of Fellows (FAIA) in recognition of his body of community-focused work and public service. In addition to leading award-winning recreation projects, he has served on national recreation design juries, authored articles on facility planning and quality-of-life projects, and is a frequent speaker at state and national parks and recreation conferences. Stephen is a long-time advocate for parks and recreation, with service as a municipal parks commissioner, planning commissioner, and legislative advocate for parks and recreation investment.

Stacie Anaya is the Director of the Lewisville Parks and Recreation Department – a CAPRA Accredited and Gold Medal winning agency – and she has proudly served in this role since 2017.  The team serves as the city’s steward of the Healthy Infrastructure Plan, and they are dedicated to ensure that every resident lives within a 10-minute walk of a park.

Before joining the team in Lewisville, she served as the Assistant Director of the Corpus Christi Parks & Recreation Department and as the Director of the Eagle Pass Parks and Recreation Department. Her career began with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department where her co-workers and mentors helped instill an appreciation and reverence for the importance of our industry.

Stacie been an active member of the Texas Recreation and Park Society since 1999, having served in various roles on the Board of Directors. She currently serves on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s State Park Advisory Committee and was honored to be inducted into the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration in 2020.  She is also a long-time member of NRPA and have served as co-chair of the Park Access Network and the Local Host Committee for the conference held in Dallas in 2023.

Stacie holds two degrees from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University): a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master’s in Public Administration. She is also, and always will be, a proud Mighty Mission Eagle, a title I share with Tom Landry. 

Stacie tries to play as hard as she works - hiking and exploring, enjoy hockey and baseball, listening to live music, working out, and spending time with her family, Peanut (canine extraordinaire), and a small legion of great friends. She lives by the motto “The World Needs Play” – a value her family instilled in her from a young age.