McElroy Replaced as D.C. Aquatics Director

Brendan McElroy is being replaced as the aquatics director at the Department of Parks and Recreation, according to city officials.

Numerous community sources said Ximena Hartsock, the interim director of Parks and Recreation, fired McElroy on Wednesday. McElroy was unavailable to comment today. John Stokes, a spokesman for Park and Recreation, confirmed McElroy no longer works for the agency. But Stokes declined further comment, calling it a personnel issue.

McElroy, the former facilities director for the Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks, joined the agency late last year. When he was hired, then Parks Director Clark E. Ray said he came "highly qualified."

"Brendan McElroy has an unparalleled devotion to youth and community, a strong commitment to the sport of swimming and quantifiable program management results," Ray said in January.

McElroy is leaving the agency two weeks after District officials opened the massive Wilson Aquatic Center in Ward 3, raising questions about the timing of his departure.

Several residents who use city pools are rallying behind McElroy. They are blaming Hartsock and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) for forcing him out. Several have started email campaigns calling for McElroy to be rehired.

"I use aquatic facilities regularly, and it's only recently that I've seen changes in how pools are managed," said Guilermina Schinder, a member of a local swim team. "However, I know that having access to facilities in good condition hinges on having knowledgeable and responsible staff at the top who know the needs of DC residents as well as what needs to be done to have well-kept facilities for everyone's enjoyment."