January 2025 – Parks & Recreation - 19

P&R: Why is data important for
telling the park and recreation
story?
Warfield: Not everyone is convinced
by a story, not everyone is
convinced by data. In fact, we use
our own research and evaluation as
a tool to measure and understand
ourselves, and there's quite a lot of
research that shows that data sometimes
doesn't help change minds
at all when it's on its own.... And
even still, some folks don't believe
the story and the data until they can
engage directly. I love this framework:
head, heart and hands. In
this metaphor, they all have to work
together for someone to feel proximate
and to understand an experience.
And that can mean we go and
entertain the brain with some data,
some information. We cut to people's
hearts and their emotional attachment
or understanding of others'
experiences, hearing stories....
And then the hands mean getting as
close as possible to the actual work
and getting directly involved.
I think data is just one slice of the
pie, but having all those elements
- head, heart and hands - means
there's no wrong point of entry.
And, for some folks if they come
in through one angle, it's the other
pieces that help keep them there....
I believe all three components are
important, none necessarily greater
or lesser than the others, and must
work in concert.
P&R: What will be your first task
as CRIO?
Warfield: I've got to admit, I've got
a very long list of things I want to
get after. But my number one top
priority right now before jumping
in and taking specific
action...is
to learn from as many of my colleagues,
teammates, our board,
NRPA members, members of communities
engaging in park and recreation
services and activities, as
possible. So much of this will relate
to the strategic plan, that's really
front and center for a lot of this
work. But I'm spending my first
couple of months here contributing
where I can but mostly seeking to
understand and carrying with me
as much humility as possible. I do
have some initial perceptions and
insights, but I really want to learn
and shape my understanding with
others' perspectives.
P&R: What are you most looking
forward to in this new role?
Warfield: Hands down, I'm most
looking forward to the people -
making new friendships, new partnerships,
new teammates. And I'm
especially excited to get out there
and meet with park and recreation
professionals and leaders in their
places and spaces that they're managing
for their communities' benefit.
Top of my joy list is getting to
spend time with this NRPA team
and the members that we're supporting
countrywide.
P&R: What is something you'd
like people to know about you?
Warfield: As much as I care very
deeply about the work, what I
do and this career I've built over
two-plus decades, I don't take
myself too seriously. I think the
best researchers and evaluators
are those who go into situations
with tremendous humility and
a desire to learn, understand
and grow as a result of the work
that they're doing in partnership
with others to study, evaluate, research,
measure....
But that translates to something
personal, which is, I think there
is an assumption...that folks in
research or evaluation and data
generally might be a little dry....
In reality, I am silly, and when I
get out there to meet other park
and recreation professionals...I
want
to go on hikes, [and] if
there's a playground, I want to
climb on the playground. I want to
laugh, and I am not afraid of selfdeprecating
humor.... I love that
playfulness and that's who I really
am, even if I show up buttoned
up in a suit with my side part and
pocket square looking like the five
o'clock weather man. Inside,
all
I'm going to want to do is take my
tie off and go play outside.
P&R: Is there anything else you
feel is important to highlight?
Warfield: Research and evaluation
is a team sport. That's to say that as
much expertise as our team might
have in house, which is plentiful...
we can't do it without the partnership
of others. Of course, that
means reaching out to and getting
the feedback and input from our
membership
and other
leaders
across the country....
And beyond that, I'll say, at my
last job...we were a small but scrappy
team, and we built well over a
hundred
partnerships
with major
colleges, universities, research
firms, agencies across all sectors,
that generated millions of dollars
in pro bono, in-kind or otherwise
fully-funded
research that advanced
the field in some pretty big
ways. I know the [NRPA] team
already has some established relationships
and there are some in
the works, and I absolutely want to
keep nurturing that.
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | J ANUAR Y 2 0 2 5 | Parks & Recreation
19
January 2025 – Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2025 – Parks & Recreation
