February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 36

30 UNDER 30
Emma Jones, 25
Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, Burlington Parks and Recreation (MA)
Emma Jones leads the Therapeutic Recreation Division by developing
mutual respect with family members, participants and
colleagues. Jones strives to build specialized programming that
provides meaningful recreation opportunities to members
of Burlington, Massachusetts, and surrounding communities
with diverse abilities. She has expanded specialized
programming for participants of all ages by increasing
program offerings for those under 13 years old by 93 percent.
Jones oversees 25 staff members, as well as numerous
direct support professionals, meeting with each of
them to provide specific goal information for each participant.
In addition, she is helping to spread the word
about therapeutic recreation throughout New England.
Meredith Lawrence, 28
Parks and Recreation Manager, City of Mendota Heights (MN)
Katherine (Katie)
MacCammon, 30
Community Program Coordinator, City
of Fairfax Parks and Recreation (VA)
Katie MacCammon serves as
community
programs coordinator
for the City of Fairfax
(Virginia) Park and Recreation,
where she runs the summer
camps and oversees 100 staff.
She also is chair of the NRPA
Young Professional Network.
MacCammon is very invested
in providing opportunities for
overlooked
and
underserved
populations in her community,
and making them inclusive for
everyone. During the coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic, she
led the park and recreation team
in opening a childcare facility
for the city's at-need families.
This program not only helped
those families in a time of need,
but also helped open doors to
establishing relationships with
those communities and providing
better assistance to them.
36 Parks & Recreation | FEBR U AR Y 2 0 2 3
Within Meredith Lawrence's five years at the helm of Mendota
Heights (Minnesota) Parks and Recreation, she developed the
department from being the lone employee to a team of three.
She built the city's first Capital Improvement Plan and Asset
Management Plan and worked with the Mendota Heights City
Council and Commission to write the department's first
strategic plan. She initiated a rebranding project at the
city's municipal golf course that revitalized the facility,
increasing rounds from 6,000 to nearly 16,000 - making
the course profitable. As liaison to the commission,
Lawrence has developed community engagement tactics
to ensure residents are actively involved in park improvement
projects within their community.
Miranda Maloy, 30
Program Coordinator, City of Temple Parks and Recreation (TX)
Miranda Maloy is often called upon to create plans for new programming
that marries the City of Temple (Texas) Parks and
Recreation's mission, vision and goals with NRPA's Three Pillars.
She has developed numerous programs designed to make
mental health and wellness programs in an at-risk community
accessible - including Mindfulness and Meditations classes,
art programs that encourage self-discovery and expression,
skills development classes for teens, and mentorship for
the community. Maloy also serves as the liaison to the
Temple Youth Advisory Commission, a new endeavor
from the city that looks to engage and empower local
teenagers to make a difference in their community.
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February 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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