August 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 13

allows seasoned professionals
to
to
examine how to take a festival or
event to the next level.
" In addition
learning from
some of the leading industry professionals,
the networking connections
are second to none. It was a wonderful
opportunity for me to spend
an entire week getting to know other
festival and event professionals.
" Thanks to my attendance
at
EMS, our department was able to
maximize revenue streams, develop
effective event marketing, and gain
valuable insight from evaluations. "
Revenue Development and
Management School
Ryan Reis, CPRP, recreation director
for the Don Pedro Recreation
Agency in La Grange, California,
shares how Revenue Development
and Management School broadened
his knowledge and helped
him make connections:
" Revenue
Development
and
Management School was a great
overall experience. I learned from
some of the leading professionals in
the recreation industry. They shared
their knowledge and experience in a
variety of classes, including sessions
on business plans, fundraising and
sponsorship opportunities. In addition
to learning from the instructors,
your classroom will be full of talented
recreation professionals [who]
can support you and provide different
perspectives on the challenges
we face today.
" Following the
completion
of
Year 1, I brought back innovative
ideas and approaches, which I integrated
into my work. In my second
year, I drew upon those professional
experiences while also strengthening
my approach with practical and
collaborative classroom exercises.
I learned from the best, networked
with professionals from all around
the country, and had the opportunity
to leave with some new friends. "
Directors School
Katie Groke, MPA, CPRP, director
of community services at Apex
Park and Recreation District in Arvada,
Colorado, attended Directors
School and encourages others to
take advantage of the opportunity:
" I highly recommend Directors
School to anyone with aspirations
to connect to new ideas, grow their
parks and recreation knowledge,
and meet people who will become
lifelong friends
and professional
connections. My experience at
Directors School was life changing!
Not only did I learn from the
best in the industry, but I also implemented
lessons from Directors
School into my day-to-day work.
The school opened my eyes
to
innovative practices used nationwide;
for example, we studied how
to implement sustainable practices
into our everyday work. The faculty
opened my eyes to new approaches
to diversity and inclusion; we were
given the space to have profound
conversations and reflect on equity
in our communities. "
To learn more about NRPA's
professional
development
ings, visit learning.nrpa.org.
Michael A. Kanters, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Parks,
Recreation and Tourism Management Department at
North Carolina State University (mkanters@ncsu.edu).
Taylor Jeromos is Manager of Learning Production at
NRPA (tjeromos@nrpa.org).
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PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | A UGUS T 2 0 2 3
| Parks & Recreation
13
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August 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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