New director of department of parks to be named today

Connie A. Brown, 60, who has served as the acting director of the city Department of Recreation and Parks since last summer, will be named permanent director today by Mayor Martin O'Malley. Before leading the department on an interim basis, the retired Army officer had served as its top official in the Bureau of Parks. He succeeds Kimberley A. Flowers, who held the $105,000-a-year post for three years before leaving to lead the Washington's parks department last year. The department oversees a 5,700-acre park system, 200 ball fields and 225 playgrounds, the mayor's office said. The announcement will be made at a noon news conference at City Hall.