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The BREC Commission unanimously voted to appoint an interim superintendent to replace Corey Wilson.
BREC announced Friday that the Commission selected Janet Simmons as interim superintendent. The commission voted on the appointment at its May 22 regular meeting.
That meeting was Wilson’s last in the role after he announced in March that he would not seek to renew his contract after seven years in the role.
Simmons is the owner of Simmons Outdoor Power and previously spent 20 years in various roles at nonprofit Hope Ministries, including 12 as president and CEO. During her time there, Simmons scaled the organization’s programs and increased revenue by more than 250%.
Her work has earned numerous accolades from organizations such as Capital Area United Way and Baton Rouge General Hospital, as well as the John W. Barton Sr. Excellence in Nonprofit Management award.
The appointment follows the commission’s decision to designate May 31 as Wilson’s last day. Wilson will continue supporting BREC in a contracted advisory capacity through January 2026 to ensure a smooth and effective transition, according to a news release.
“I remain fully committed to BREC’s continued success and to ensuring a seamless leadership handoff,” said Wilson in a prepared statement. “While I had anticipated serving through January 2026, I respect the Commission’s decision to begin the next chapter sooner. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished together and will continue supporting the organization in every way I can during this transition.”
During his seven-year tenure, Wilson led BREC through a period of transformational progress, including multiple national recognitions, successful accreditation renewals, major capital
improvement projects, critical tax renewals, and the development of the agency’s long-range strategic plan, Imagine Your Parks 3.
There were also challenges during his tenure, including delays in a 2021 audit that was not completed until 2024. The audit for the 2022 fiscal year was released in February.
Also at last week’s meeting, the commission voted to establish a search committee and to conduct a national search for the new superintendent.
The search committee will review the job description and make recommendations for any necessary changes to the commission for approval. They will also develop a timeline, provide regular reports of their progress at scheduled commission meetings, and work with a qualified consulting firm to compile a list of candidates to interview.
Commissioners will vote on the makeup of the search committee at their June 26 meeting.
Read a previous Business Report article on Simmons.
