July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 41

The CAPRA
CONNECTION
How this accreditation program helps create
better park and recreation departments
By Jennifer Schleining
M
ore than 190 park and recreation departments at cities,
towns, villages, counties, states, special districts and military
installations in 38 states have built a comprehensive
management system of operational best practices. The
Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA)
strengthens teamwork among staff, imbeds park and recreation best practices
into departments' internal culture, establishes a continuous improvement
mindset for all activities and prepares park and recreation professionals
and their agencies for the future.
I recently spoke with staff from
six park and recreation departments
about their CAPRA experiences.
Each department participated in
the 2022 CAPRA season, either
as a newly CAPRA-accredited
department
or
a reaccrediting
one. Following are their unique
CAPRA stories along with insights
into what they learned, what they
wish they had known, the impact
CAPRA has had on their department
and what advice they have for
those considering CAPRA. Each
had their own journey and motivations
for participation. However,
each of these leaders say their departments
are better because of it.
The Journey
Bryan Hughes, director of the newly
accredited City of Avondale, Arizona,
which serves a population of
more than 100,000, joined the staff
in 2020. Avondale is located near
Phoenix and offers its community
recreational and learning opportunities
that reflect its vitality and
diversity. Hughes and his staff familiarized
themselves with the department's
policies and procedures
and matched their desired changes
with the CAPRA standards. After
a few months, they set a goal at
their 2020 staff retreat to become
CAPRA accredited by 2022.
In 2014, the city manager's office
in Desoto, Texas, directed all city
departments - including parks and
recreation - to earn an accreditation.
Desoto boasts a population of
more than 55,000 and is located 13
miles south of downtown Dallas.
The DeSoto Parks and Recreation
Department serves as the number
one tourist attraction for the city.
The department director at the
time provided them with support to
make that possible in 2016. " Within
the Dallas-Fort Worth area,
there is a high concentration of
CAPRA-accredited agencies, and I
think that also helps play into a little
bit of the friendly competition....
[W]e want to be not only the best
in the nation, but we also want to be
the best within our respective area, "
says Assistant Director Chase Ellis,
CPRP, CPO, RCRSP.
Michael Wargo, CPRP,
executive
director for the newly accredited
Willamalane Park and
Recreation
District
in
Oregon,
discovered when he joined in 2018
that staff were not regularly rePARK
S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | JULY 2 0 2 3
| Parks & Recreation
41

July 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2023 - Parks & Recreation

July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Intro
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover1
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover2
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 1
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 2
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 3
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 4
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 5
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 6
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 7
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 8
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 9
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 10
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 10a
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 10b
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 11
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 12
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 13
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 14
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 15
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 16
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 17
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 18
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 19
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 20
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 21
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 22
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 23
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 24
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 25
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 26
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 27
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 28
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 29
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 30
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 31
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 32
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 33
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 34
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 35
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 36
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 37
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 38
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 39
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 40
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 41
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 42
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 43
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 44
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 45
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 46
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 47
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 48
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 49
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 50
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 51
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 52
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 53
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 54
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 55
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 56
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover3
July 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover4
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2021
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com