July 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 63
Staff Spotlight: Roxanne Sutton
T
here are many words one could use to describe NRPA Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist Roxanne Sutton - baker
extraordinaire, cheese-head, " proud 1980s baby, " meme dictionary,
to name a handful. Here among her colleagues, Sutton is all these
things and much more. She's our social media guru and master of public relations, with brainstorming powers to rival any champion of free association.
When NRPA has something it needs to communicate to its more than 50,000
members, Sutton will surely have a hand in crafting that message and ensuring
its clarity and impact. We Facebooked, direct messaged and emailed Sutton to
get her thoughts about the importance of good communication and, of course,
her favorite NRPA memories.
Parks & Recreation magazine: Talk
a bit about your background and
your professional journey to the
world of associations, parks and
recreation.
Roxanne Sutton: I spent the first seven years of my life in Wisconsin, but
did my growing up in the river valley of Parkersburg, West Virginia...I
started dancing at age two, which led
me to pursue dance as a professional
career at Wright State University in
Ohio. After two years, I decided that
communications and public relations
would be more suited to my needs,
so I moved to Virginia, married my
high school sweetheart and graduated from George Mason University.
Once I changed career paths, I decided I wanted to work for a nonprofit.
I worked at a public relations firm
straight out of college, which, depending on the client, sometimes satisfied my need to feel as though I was
making a difference in others' lives.
But when I saw an opening at NRPA,
I jumped at the chance to work for
a nonprofit association whose main
mission is to improve the lives of all
people through the power of parks
and recreation - something I had
experienced personally as a child at
my own local park.
P&R: July is a really excellent time
for public awareness for our field,
as Park and Recreation Month is a
wonderful way to promote all the
healthy benefits our members work
so hard to offer. How do you leverage this observance to its greatest
effect?
Sutton: Internally, the marketing
and communications team works
hard to make sure we are promoting
Park and Recreation Month using
every resource we have. We use all
of our own communications channels, but also rely heavily on partners, media, advocacy allies and,
most importantly, our members to
not only make sure everyone knows
about and participates in Park and
Recreation Month, but that the general public recognizes the important
role parks and recreation plays in our
daily lives.
P&R: What advice would you give
to an agency wishing to better promote its offerings, not just during
Park and Recreation Month, but all
year long?
Sutton: Find out where your audiences are and reach them there. Perhaps you thought your senior citizens
relied on the local newspaper for
information, when maybe they are
getting more and more information
from their grandkids on Facebook.
It's not always easy, but the best way
to get started is to just ask. Anecdotal evidence is better than none at all.
Once you find out where your various audiences are, target messages
that speak directly to them. Experiment with different messaging and
tactics to see what works.
P&R: What's one of your best/favorite/most meaningful anecdotes
from your time at NRPA?
Sutton: There are too many to choose
from! Meeting First Lady [Michelle
Obama] and Amy Poehler at our
Commit to Health launch. Taking a
four-hour nature- and bird-watching
tour on the Patuxent River. Rescuing
a Guinea pig from the bushes at HQ.
Creating this year's Park and Rec
Month promo video. There's never a
dull moment at NRPA!
- Samantha Bartram, Executive Editor of Parks & Recreation magazine
W W W. N R PA . O R G | J U LY 2 0 1 5 |
Parks & Recreation
61
July 2015 - Parks & Recreation
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2015 - Parks & Recreation
July 2015 - Parks & Recreation - 1
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