Bruce Fournier Joins Lower Township Parks and Recreation Board

VILLAS – The Lower Township Department of Parks and Recreation welcomed Bruce Fournier to the position of assistant superintendent this June.
Fournier, 48, of Lower Township, was born and raised in Cape May County.  He graduated from Youngstown University in Ohio with a major in history and recently received certification in nonprofit and business management through La Salle University in 2014.
“The township is excited to have Bruce on board, especially with all his experience in athletics and management,” said Lower Township Manager Jim Ridgway.
Fournier is no stranger to youth education and sports programs. In his capacity as the Chief Operating Officer of the Naval Air Station, he has created and implemented the Aviation Career Academy and Explorer’s Summer Academy. He also became involved as a volunteer baseball coach when his children were young. He began volunteering as a coach in 2007 when his son, Brad, started playing in the minors of Lower Cape May Little League.  When Brad moved on to Lower Cape May Regional’s high school baseball program and his daughter, Emma, became interested in starting the sport, Fournier then turned his attention to softball.
“Our goal with the little league program was to bring the baseball community of players, parents, coaches and officials together,” said Fournier, who is also the treasurer of the Lower Cape May Little League Booster Club. “We wanted a program where kids could move through the various levels, from coach pitch to senior levels, with stability and consistency.”
Recently, Fournier volunteered as a coach of township’s youth basketball league, which is open to children in kindergarten through eighth grade.
When Fournier isn’t busy with coaching or his work at the Chief Operating Officer of the Naval Air Station Wildwood, Aviation Museum or spending time with his family, he also makes time to volunteer to keep up maintenance at the township’s various parks and sports fields.
With a specialized skill set of marketing and event management, Fournier is working with Superintendent Mitchell Plenn to build on the success of the youth programs and various events presented by Lower Township Parks and Recreation Department.
“I’m looking forward to expanding on the recreation department’s contributions to the community,” Fournier said and noted the popular free summer concert series, the Coombs / Douglass Memorial Run, Community Day and the many youth programs.
The Lower Township Recreation Center is located behind Lower Township Hall in the municipal complex at 2600 Bayshore Road. For more information call 609-886-7880 ext. 0 or visit the township’s website at townshipoflower.org.