People / Spotlight on achievers

Christopher Jarvi, the city’s longtime community services director, has been elected president of a national organization that promotes parks and conservation efforts around the country.

The National Recreation and Park Assn., which has 23,000 members, is a nonprofit group dedicated to improving communities. Jarvi was elected president this month based on his lifelong commitment to the group’s goals, officials said.

Since 1982, Jarvi has managed Anaheim’s $25-million Community Services budget and overseen a department responsible for 41 parks, 56,000 trees, two golf courses, 162 acres of parkways and medians, and five public libraries.