November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 8

PERSPECT I VES A MESSAGE FROM NRPA' S LEADERS
Seeing the Forest and the Trees
As this issue comes out, I'll be
building on the momentum of an
energizing 2024 NRPA Annual
Conference in Atlanta. November
finds me speaking at the Indiana
Park and Recreation Association
Conference, where park and recreation
professionals are leaning statewide
into the mental health benefits
of connecting youth and people of
all ages to nature. I go from there
to Lake Charles, Louisiana, where
I'll be celebrating the city's Partners in Parks initiative and
how it has advanced parks and recreation throughout its
community. It's tremendously exciting to see how park and
recreation leaders are addressing big issues by working on
the ground in very specific ways to create solutions. That is
all about seeing both the forest and the trees.
At the conference, we launched our strategic plan and
talked a lot about the Seven Dimensions of Well-Being
(nrpa.org/StrategicPlan) and the importance of taking
a systems-level approach. It's easy, when dealing with
a million details, to lose our perspective and to miss the
forest for the trees. I hope that by taking a step out of
your day-to-day responsibilities and participating in the
2024 NRPA Annual Conference, you were able to get
a bit of perspective, and I similarly hope that this issue
helps you learn what colleagues in other places are doing
to maintain a perspective on both.
Virginia's NOVA Parks (aka, Northern Virginia Regional
Park Authority) is embarking on a novel approach
to creating funds for specific projects by tapping into a
significant and often overwhelming challenge - climate
change. By recognizing the financial benefits of environmental
services and capitalizing on those services, they
are creating a bank of funds that they can use to finance
projects like wetlands rehabilitation, for example. This
creative solution is helping at both the macro and micro
level - the forest and the trees, literally.
Los Angeles County is going deep into public engagement
by bringing the public into its entire plan - every
year. Rather than strictly focusing on project-by-project
consultations, park and recreation leaders are reinforcing
a commitment to hold annual public meetings to
update community members about park facilities, recreational
programming and capital projects, as well as
8 Parks & Recreation | NOVEMBER 2 0 2 4 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
provide an opportunity for them to identify priorities
that should be addressed in the agency's annual budget.
This is a major investment in building trust and
transparency with the community overall. Given the
size and scope of the county's program, I am sure that
park and recreation professionals have a lot of questions
about how it's going. The story, " Connecting
With Communities, " on page 40, helps to shed light.
The last " forest and the trees " example this month
comes from Philadelphia, where the city is reckoning
with the fact that about 90 percent of its more than 400
neighborhood parks, recreation centers and libraries
need investment. Through its city beverage tax, Rebuild
Philadelphia (tinyurl.com/2jsaes2r) is systematically
addressing that backlog of needs. Author Casey
Heilig delves into this expansive program in " Philadelphia's
Rebuild Initiative " on page 34.
Lastly, back in September, I shared that I had launched
a search for NRPA's first chief research and impact
officer, a leadership role that will be dedicated to growing
our research, evaluation and impact practice. I'm very
pleased to share that November 12 marks the start of
our new leader's work at NRPA, although some of you
may have had a chance to meet him in Atlanta. For
more than 20 years, Garrett Warfield, Ph.D., has used
research, evaluation and data science to help nonprofit
organizations, businesses, schools and government
agencies achieve their goals and deliver positive benefits
to the people they serve. A servant leader with a passion
for helping others, Warfield has applied his expertise
for the past 10 years to Year Up, a nonprofit working to
ensure that every young adult has the support to break
through barriers and achieve their full potential. He is
excited to apply his knowledge and abilities to a cause
very near and dear to his heart - parks and recreation!
I'm feeling so much pride and enthusiasm about the
work of this field and the strategic plan NRPA is launching
in the new year. By keeping an eye on both the forest
and the trees, we will deliver on our promise - building
strong, healthy and connected communities.
KRISTINE STRATTON
President and CEO
http://tinyurl.com/2jsaes2r http://www.nrpa.org/StrategicPlan

November 2024 – Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2024 – Parks & Recreation

November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - Intro
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - Cover1
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - Cover2
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 1
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 2
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 3
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 4
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 5
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 6
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 7
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 8
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 9
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 10
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 11
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 12
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 13
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 14
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 15
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 16
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 17
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 18
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 19
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 20
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 21
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 22
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 23
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 24
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 25
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 26
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 27
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 28
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 29
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 30
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 31
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 32
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 33
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 34
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 35
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 36
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 37
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 38
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 39
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 40
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 41
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 42
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 43
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 44
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 45
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 46
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 47
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 48
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 49
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 50
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 51
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 52
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 53
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 54
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 55
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - 56
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - Cover3
November 2024 – Parks & Recreation - Cover4
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2024
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