North Dakota governor announces Parks and Recreation director’s move to Corrections agency
Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s office announced that North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department Director Cody Schulz is scheduled to leave the agency in August 2026 and become chief financial officer of the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The announcement, issued July 12 by the governor’s office, identifies Schulz as the incoming chief financial officer at Corrections and Rehabilitation. It sets up a leadership transition at Parks and Recreation while placing Schulz in a financial leadership role at another state agency.
A planned agency transition
The governor’s office described the move as occurring in August 2026. The announcement establishes the anticipated month of Schulz’s departure from Parks and Recreation and his move to Corrections and Rehabilitation, but it does not provide an exact final day at Parks and Recreation.
Nor does the available announcement specify the effective date of Schulz’s chief financial officer appointment. The position is therefore announced as an upcoming role, rather than a completed appointment or an already implemented personnel change.
Schulz’s current role is director of the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department. His announced next role is chief financial officer of the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
The two agencies have distinct state responsibilities, and the announcement concerns leadership at both: Parks and Recreation is preparing for Schulz’s departure, while Corrections and Rehabilitation is preparing for his arrival in the chief financial officer position. The governor’s office did not provide further details in the available source about staffing arrangements for either transition.
What remains unspecified
The announcement does not name an interim director or a permanent successor for Parks and Recreation. It also does not state whether a search for the department’s next director has begun, who would lead the agency after Schulz leaves, or when any successor decision could be made.
No details were provided about the terms of the chief financial officer role, including compensation, duties, budget authority, or a start date beyond the planned August transition. The available release also does not describe operational or budgetary changes at either agency connected to the personnel move.
Those omissions are significant for understanding the procedural stage of the announcement. The governor’s office has publicly identified Schulz’s intended move and destination, but the available information does not document the remaining internal transition steps, an exact appointment date, or a replacement plan at Parks and Recreation.
Next known milestone
August 2026 is the next known timing marker. At that point, Schulz is expected to depart Parks and Recreation and assume the chief financial officer role at Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Until the state provides additional details, the announced transition should not be characterized as a resignation, dismissal or disciplinary action. The governor’s office announcement documents a planned move between state agencies, without stating a reason for the change or describing any personnel dispute.
The development is an official state-government personnel action involving the governor’s office, the Parks and Recreation Department and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. It creates an upcoming leadership change at Parks and Recreation while filling an announced financial leadership role at Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Sources
- Office of the Governor newsroom, Office of Gov. Kelly Armstrong, North Dakota