February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 8

PERSPECT I VES A MESSAGE FROM NRPA' S LEADERS
Leadership Through Service
American novelist and essayist Ken Kesey once said, " You don't lead by pointing and
telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making a case. "
As park and recreation professionals, we show up in the places - literally and
figuratively - where we are leading our communities. As we work to improve the
health and well-being of all our community members through recreation programming
and time spent outdoors, and increase the resiliency of communities by enhancing
the vitality and accessibility of our green spaces, we also act as a part of
the community we serve. We live by the values we work to advance, and exemplify
for our community members the vital benefits that parks and recreation provides.
To fully convey these values, it is important that in addition to showing through
actions, we are intentional about making the case for parks and recreation. One of the
key facets of NRPA's 2020-2023 Strategic Plan is to " Build a Movement. " According
to the plan, " Through strategic storytelling campaigns, PR efforts, partnerships
and research, we will demonstrate the impact and vital work done by park and recreation
professionals and highlight their roles in creating communities that excel in
conservation, health and well-being, and equity efforts. "
Part of making the case is lifting up the great work that the dedicated people of our field perform every
day. In this issue, we recognize 30 of the top young professionals within the field of parks and recreation -
from inclusion and adaptive recreation programs specialists to directors. While the paths are different, these
young leaders have each gone above and beyond to improve the quality of life of their community members.
We also make the case for parks and recreation by showing, through research, that parks and recreation
- and the professionals who make it happen - are essential (nrpa.org/Essential). Studies show
that parks and recreation promotes health and wellness, is critical to childhood development, drives
economic opportunity, unites people, and makes our communities resilient in the face of natural disasters
and climate change. This would not be possible without the dedication of leaders like you, who
work tirelessly to ensure these outcomes are realized.
The recent news of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin serves as a reminder of the importance of safety
in recreation, and highlights opportunities for parks and recreation to lead in this realm at the local level,
especially in youth and league sports (tinyurl.com/52u8fajs). Ensuring safety equipment is available for
athletes and providing proper safety training for volunteer coaches, league officials and other personnel are
paramount to ensuring our community members can safely participate in activities hosted by our agencies.
In Brené Brown's Netflix special, titled Brené Brown: The Call to Courage, she speaks about leadership,
stating: " We all have a responsibility to show up and bring our whole hearts and our whole selves to
work, and to lean into the tough conversations. " One thing that the professionals in our field have in
common is that they care deeply, and that fuels them to show up each day to tackle the difficult issues
that our communities face. At the heart of leadership is service. You serve as leaders in big and small
ways every day - from showing up for the individuals
who enter your parks and recreation
centers, to collectively leading the nation to a
healthier, more resilient future. Thank you
for all you do to make lives better.
CAROLYN F. MCKNIGHT-FREDD
Chair, NRPA Board of Directors
8 Parks & Recreation | FEBR U AR Y 2 0 2 3
| PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
http://www.nrpa.org/Essential http://www.tinyurl.com/52u8fajs

February 2023 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2023 - Parks & Recreation

February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Intro
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover1
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover2
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 1
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 2
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 3
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 4
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 5
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 6
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 7
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 8
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 9
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 10
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 11
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 12
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 13
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February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 18
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 19
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 20
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 21
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February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 30
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 31
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February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 34
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February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 49
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 50
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 51
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February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 53
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 54
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 55
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 56
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover3
February 2023 - Parks & Recreation - Cover4
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2024
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2023
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/february-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/january-2022
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/december-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/november-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/october-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/september-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/august-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/july-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/june-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/may-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/april-2021
https://ezine.nrpa.org/nrpa/ParksRecreationMagazine/march-2021
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com