February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 39

Rachel Smith, 27
Operations Manager, James City County Parks and Recreation (VA)
Rachel Smith began her career as a therapeutic recreation specialist working part time with dementia
and Alzheimer's patients while attending college. After graduating, she joined the Lynchburg (Virginia)
Parks and Recreation Department (LPRD) as a community recreation programmer. At LPRD,
Smith conducted 225 new programs focused on health and wellness, technology, enrichment
and art education. She coordinated programs and was tasked with renovating the Jackson
Heights Art Studio, which provides pottery and stained-glass programs. Smith created an
open, caring and inviting relationship with participants at the art studio. In 2022, she joined
James City County, Virginia, as operations manager - overseeing programming and special
events, which include a pottery program.
Harper Steinbach, 26
Program Manager, North Suburban Center for the Arts (MN)
Harper Steinbach's work has directly increased food access for underserved populations. As community
engagement coordinator at the City of Robbinsdale, Minnesota, they secured a black-owned farmers market
through a joint memorandum of understanding. They also successfully rebooted the community garden
by cultivating donor support and obtaining grant money to fund the project entirely. Steinbach's work
has helped organizations market and reach out to their diverse communities in a gender-confirming
and welcoming way. This past summer, they worked on placemaking through a Cultivate Art grant
they obtained from Hennepin County. Steinbach currently serves as program manager at North
Suburban Center for the Arts.
Kari Truax, 25
Recreation Supervisor, Centerville-Washington Park District (OH)
Kari Truax is an up-and-comer in parks and recreation. Her
heart, attitude and spirit are an energy that is contagious.
She is actively engaged with the Ohio Parks and Recreation
Association and is thirsty for more. Truax is presenting at
the 2023 state conference about her graduate research, titled
" Heartbeat of an Organization. "
Her passion for connecting temporary,
seasonal employees
into the field of recreation is
going a long way by changing
training modules within
the region, teaching recruitment
and retention techniques,
and helping tenured
professionals learn
how to connect with
the changing needs of
younger employees.
Luca Twohie, 20
Human Resources Generalist, Fairfax County Park Authority (VA)
As human resources generalist at the Fairfax County Park
Authority (FCPA) in Virginia, Luca Twohie works with
the staff recruitment team. In 2021, Twohie created the
#joinFCPA hiring campaign, as the park authority revived
programs post-COVID-19. He used market research
data and collaborated with the communications team to
implement an innovative online and
offline
marketing communication
plan to fill 1,200 part-time seasonal
positions. His campaigns filled hiring
gaps and created FCPA brand
awareness. The campaign targeted
racially-diverse candidates, including
college students and retirees.
The nonpaid social media
recruitment
reached 25,000
campaign
social
media users, resulting in
3,500 applications and
ultimately 1,100 hires.
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | FEBR U AR Y 2 0 2 3
| Parks & Recreation
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February 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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