April 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 79

Member Spotlight: Kathi Muller, CPRP

athi Muller, director of
strategic initiatives for
Philadelphia Parks and
Recreation (PPR), is a
true park and rec kid. " I was a high
school kid who shot baskets every day
at the neighborhood playground, "
she says, recalling her first experiences with parks and recreation. " One
day, the recreation leader told me
that I could go to college, study recreation and get a job as a recreation
leader. I was inspired! " Thirty-eight
years later, Muller has built a formidable career at PPR. She's worked
as an ice rink attendant, lifeguard,
assistant recreation leader, full-time
recreation leader, after-school coordinator and district manager, supervising 25 facilities, 14 pools and an
ice-skating rink. Muller was assigned
to Carousel House, PPR's recreation
center for people with disabilities.
She recently worked on a team to facilitate the merger of Philadelphia's
Fairmount Park System with the Department of Recreation, and currently manages special projects and partnerships to advance PPR's mission.
Muller's personal life, too, is happily
suffused with the field - she's a lifetime resident of the city, her husband
of 34 years is a retired PPR employee and the couple's three adult children all have careers in parks and
recreation. " This was not intentional,
but a result of [their] participating in
a broad range of recreation programs
and camps, " Muller explains. " They
qualified for employment in camp
and lifeguarding jobs through high
school and college. They have discovered different paths that connect their
personal interests to the broader field
of parks and recreation. " We asked

Muller to shed some light on her path
in the field - below is a portion of
our conversation.
Parks & Recreation magazine: What
is one of the most rewarding aspects of your job?
Kathi Muller: It is truly rewarding
when young adults come back and
tell me that they are OK/successful
as a result of participating in a program I ran. Many also worked for me
as teens. You never know when you
have the opportunity to make a difference in the life of a young person.
P&R: What is one of your greatest
professional challenges?
Muller: I find partnerships particularly challenging. The complexity is
managing external and internal partners who have a role in the relationship. As with any relationship, people have different interests and needs.
We have a responsibility to figure out
what each partner needs, then, we
need to deliver on our commitments.
You have to pay attention continuously to all aspects of the partnerships or you will not be successful.
It is an art and a skill that one must
continually model and teach.

P&R: What are you most proud of
during your time with PPR?
Muller: In the mid-1990s I worked
with then-Recreation Commissioner Michael DiBerardinis to address
issues related to youth violence. An
outgrowth of this work was the development of after-school programs
in disadvantaged communities. The
success leveraged support and resources to bring those programs to
every neighborhood in Philadelphia.
It was important work, connecting
with citizens in diverse neighborhoods to understand and find solutions to keep children and teens safe.
By addressing a societal issue, we
were able to provide expanded recreation services that still exist today.
P&R: What advice would you give to
a young professional in the field?
Muller: Be open to new ideas. Never
forget where you came from. Respect
the community you serve. No task or
role is beneath you. Join professional
organizations - the friends, support
and knowledge will sustain and advance your career.
- Samantha Bartram, Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine

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April 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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