December 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 35

I Am a Young Professional!
And we have much to offer.

A

RE YOU A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL? Not sure? OK, let's take one step back before we go any
further. Are you 35 or younger? Do you work at least part time in parks and recreation or a
related field? If you could answer yes to both, then you meet the qualifications of the National Recreation and Park Association to be called a " Young Professional. " Do not wait a minute more.
It is time to shout it from the rooftops....I AM A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL!
Never before has the identification of a young
professional carried so much excitement among
NRPA leadership, department directors, state executive directors, elected officials, educators, and
the public. Young professionals are not only the
future of the field, but they also represent the
who " we " are now; they are currently entering
up and changing the landscape of leadership by
actively pursuing leadership opportunities, stepping into leadership roles when vacancies exist,
and thriving in positions that require a new approach. Young professionals currently serve in
NRPA or state or regional association leadership
positions, and they are strong leaders in their local park and recreation departments (some even
run the whole show).
Eight years ago, when my career began, I was
extremely uncomfortable being called a young
professional. To me, it meant that I was not officially welcomed into the profession, that I was
too green to be influential, or that I was too young
to make a difference. I wanted to be considered
a professional, period...leave the " young " part out
of it. Not today! Today, to be called a young professional is a source of pride and possibilities to
grow exponentially. Young professionals are no
longer expected to sit on the sidelines before being
invited to the table; we are at those tables! Leaders in our field recognize the value of our unique
skill sets, our education level and certifications,
our commitment to professional development,
and our dedication and passion to the field. The
kiddie table no longer exists; young professionals
are recognized as an invaluable asset because of
the innovative ideas they have to share.
For those professionals unfamiliar with the
Young Professional Network, did you happen

FUTURE LEADERS

BY K AR A KISH, CPRP, CPSI, MPA

Today, to be
called a young
professional is a source
of pride and possibilities
to grow exponentially.
to witness the sea of orange nametags flooding
the NRPA Congress in Anaheim? That was us!
We are motivated and quickly advancing professionals that take pride in our label and distinction because of the strides made as a profession
that supports young professionals. Young professionals are strong leaders both within NRPA and
in your departments because they are willing to
go the extra mile to create a name for the agency
and provide programs and services that meet the
needs of their communities.
Young professionals are championing the mission and vision of NRPA through the Young Professional Network with efficient communication,
leading NRPA initiatives such as Visit a Park Day,
and producing informative and educational resources such as the newsletter, The Young Professional. Young professionals are coming to the
workforce with a great amount of education. As
WWW.NRPA.ORG | DECEMBER 2012 |

Parks & Recreation

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December 2012 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2012 - Parks & Recreation

December 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 1
December 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 2
December 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 3
December 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 4
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2017
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2015
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2015
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2014
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2013
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2013
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2012
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2011
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2010
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