March 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 67

Member Spotlight: Bo Hutchens

o Hutchens may be young, but he's already proven
his passion for the field of military recreation. The
26-year-old was recently promoted to recreation,
travel and parks director at Naval Submarine Base Kings
Bay in Georgia, and he serves as the Young Professional
Representative and Southern Region Chair-Elect for NRPA's Armed Forces Recreation Network (AFRN). These
days, he's putting his energy to work building bridges
among park and recreation professionals of all stripes.

Hutchens began his career in 2009, coordinating sports
offerings at the base. " I knew I didn't want to stay in sports
forever.... I had the end goal of being a director or chief
administrator somewhere, so I knew the next step was to
become involved with NRPA, " he says. Hutchens attended the 2010 NRPA Congress and Exposition in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and says, " I went to a leadership meeting
and said, 'I don't know what you do, this is my first time,
but I'm interested, energetic and want to help.' "
He landed a spot on the Young Professionals Network
(YPN) leadership team and began networking with others
in his field. Soon, Hutchens became inspired to facilitate
deeper connections between the world of Military, Wellness and Morale (MWR) specialists and park and recreation professionals who cater to civilians. " I noticed most
of the professionals knew very little about the military
recreation world. That whole ball started rolling in my
head, and that's how I got so heavily involved to increase

awareness and bridge communication, " Hutchens says.
That task was made easier through the networking opportunities made available through his NRPA membership.
" [Joining NRPA] gave me outlets and opportunities to
take a leadership role.... It helped me learn more about
how I operate as a professional, my career and my installation. I have proven experiences I can fall back on
and say, 'I've done this through NRPA.' It's helped me
put my installation at the forefront. "
Hutchens says the knowledge and experience he's
gained through AFRN and YPN exceeded expectations.
" You have a prime opportunity to talk to (upper-level
parks directors and managers) about their careers and
seek advice, " he says. " I really can't put into words how
beneficial it is. I wouldn't advise a career in recreation
without getting involved in NRPA. "
- Samantha Bartram, Associate Editor
of Parks & Recreation Magazine

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March 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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