December 2021 - Parks & Recreation - 8

EDITOR' S LETTER
A Year of Optimism and Opportunity
Let's be honest, 2021 didn't exactly turn out to be the year
we hoped it would be. Although we couldn't officially call it a
post-pandemic year, we did see layers of optimism and opportunity
throughout the park and recreation field. For one thing, the
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic gave people a new appreciation
for nature and parks, especially when folks were urged to shelter
in place. I am optimistic that this strong sentiment and affection
for parks will continue long after this pandemic ends. What's more,
park and recreation agencies have an opportunity to take the lessons
learned from March 2020 to present day and dive deeper into
the inequities that revealed themselves throughout our communities
and make those much-needed changes.
Earlier this year, we saw a number of changes happening in our
federal agencies. In this month's cover story, " DOI Secretary Deb
Haaland Breaks New Ground, " on page 34, NRPA President and
CEO Kristine Stratton offers a closer look at the person President
Joe Biden handpicked to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior.
This past September, many park and recreation professionals seized the opportunity to get back
to some semblance of " normalcy, " when they gathered in Nashville, Tennessee, for the 2021
NRPA Annual Conference. What made this year's event stand apart from previous years, is the
fact that it was a hybrid conference - whereby attendees had a choice to travel to " Music City, "
or log on to our virtual platform. In the feature article, " Recapping the 2021 NRPA Annual Conference, "
on page 40, we share some of the key highlights, including general sessions, education
sessions, coffee talks and more.
The pandemic caused community members to take stock of what's really important to them,
especially when it comes to the impact of play on their children. In the feature article, " The Value
of Play, Playgrounds and Parks During the Pandemic, " on page 44, Richard J. Dolesh, NRPA's
editor-at-large, takes a closer look at a national study conducted by the International Playground
Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA), in cooperation with Wakefield Research, which
surveyed parents on the benefits of children's play during COVID-19. " People want to be outside, "
says Tom Norquist, senior vice president of innovation and business development at PlayCore
and twice president of IPEMA. " The pandemic enabled families to be outdoors together. In doing
so, it rekindled how much fun it was to play together. And, families realized once again how great
their local parks are. "
Finally, we'd love to hear about some of the lessons you have gleaned from the pandemic these
past 12 months. Or, simply share an inspiring story about your park and recreation agency or community.
You never know...your story just might be featured in a future issue of Parks & Recreation
magazine!
PRESIDENT AND CEO
Kristine Stratton
VICE PRESIDENT OF
COMMUNICATIONS AND CHIEF
MARKETING OFFICER
Gina Mullins-Cohen
gcohen@nrpa.org
EXECUTIVE EDITOR AND
DIRECTOR OF PRINT AND
ONLINE CONTENT
Vitisia Paynich
vpaynich@nrpa.org
ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND
WRITER
Lindsay Hogeboom
lhogeboom@nrpa.org
MANAGER OF ONLINE
CONTENT
Jennifer Fulcher-Nguyen
jnguyen@nrpa.org
PUBLICATION DESIGN
Kim Mabon/Creative By
Design
CreativeByDesign.net
SENIOR CORPORATE
DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
WESTERN REGION AND ASIA
Michelle Dellner
949.248.1057
mdellner@nrpa.org
SENIOR CORPORATE
DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
EASTERN REGION AND EUROPE
Paul Semple
916.880.5225
psemple@nrpa.org
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Melissa Hunter
703.858.2199
mhunter@nrpa.org
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dreamstime.com or NRPA
(unless otherwise noted)
VITISIA " VI " PAYNICH
Executive Editor
Director, Print and Online Content
8 Parks & Recreation | DECEMBER 2 0 2 1
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
MAGAZINE ADVISORY
BOARD MEMBERS
Anthony-Paul Diaz, Chair
Michael Abbaté, FASLA
Neelay Bhatt
Ryan Eaker
Beau Fieldsend
Kathleen Gibi
Paul Gilbert, CPRP
Tim Herd, CPRE
Brian Johnson, CPSI
Denise Johnson-Caldwell
Roslyn Johnson, CPRP
Michele Lemons
Sam Mendelsohn
Maria Nardi
Lisa Paradis, CPRP
Paula Sliefert
Shonnda Smith, CPRP, AFO
Ronnetta Spalding

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December 2021 - Parks & Recreation

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