May 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 57

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v o l u n t e e r s p o t l igh t

Greg A. Weitzel

G

The responsibility of educating legislators

reg A . Weitzel' s career as a park and recreation administrator has
spanned more than 20 years-and in
that time he has been awarded more
than $15 million in federal, state,
county, local, corporate, and foundation grants. The projects funded with those millions have ranged
from master plans for multi-generational destination parks, to sustainable park and building design,
to greenway and rail trail construction. When Weitzel, who current- Weitzel (right), with Congressman Dent (R-PA)
ly heads Allentown, Pennsylvania's,
parks and recreation department, echoes and Livable Communities Act, the No Child
the well-known saying that " all politics is Left Inside Act, and was honored to work
local, " he speaks from hard-won advoca- on President Obama's America's Great
cy experience. Weitzel's work as an NRPA Outdoors (AGO) Initiative.
volunteer influencing federal policy has led
However, my advocacy for parks, rechim to a critical insight: Park professionals reation and conservation began at an earare uniquely positioned to know what state ly age in Lititz, Pennsylvania. I remember
and federal lawmakers' constituents want. that our old recreation center was in very
Those who find public policy and advoca- poor condition. Serving as a student leadcy work intimidating, he insists, should re- er, I worked with the mayor and city counmember that they represent a brain trust cil to help build a new center. I'm sure they
of expertise on American parks, recre- remember me strongly encouraging them
ation, and conservation. That brain trust is to build a bigger pool and provide more
one our legislators sorely need, Weitzel in- gym space!
sists-and it has the potential to shape the
After many years of service, I was refuture of parks in this country.
cently nominated to serve as chairman
of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park
Could you describe the public policy Society Governmental Affairs Committee
(GAC). The GAC has been a key advocate
work you have done as a volunteer
for state parks and forests and recently
working alongside NRPA?
Over the last decade, I've worked close- helped protect the environment from the
ly with NRPA's great staff of public poli- impacts of natural gas drilling. Currently,
cy professionals to advocate for full and we are working to save the Keystone Fund
dedicated funding for the Land and Wa- (our dedicated park, recreation, conservater Conservation Fund-especially the tion, and library fund) from elimination in
state assistance program. And I've lob- the state budget. We certainly have a lot
bied for transportation enhancements like of tough work ahead of us, and we are
bike and pedestrian trails and programs thankful to the NRPA staff who have been
such as Safe Routes to School. I'm also a very helpful with solid advice on how to
big supporter of the Urban Revitalization win this campaign.

54	 Parks & Recreation   M A Y

2 0 1 2    w w w . N R P A . O R G

Are there any myths or misconceptions that you see among
park professionals about the
nature and purpose of national-level public policy work?
You hear all the time, " I'm too busy
and my one voice will not make
a difference. " My experience has
shown me that if you just take ten
minutes to send that email, write
that letter, or just pick up the phone
and call your legislators when an
important vote is being considered,
you will be heard.
I also believe some professionals in our field are intimidated by nationallevel public policy work; yet, at the local
level, we are already expert advocates for
parks, recreation, and conservation when
we champion new policies and request
funds for our programs and facilities. Former U.S. Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill
coined the saying, " All politics is local " and
that is so true. That's why we make great
lobbyists in Washington-because despite
all the partisan politics, special interests,
and gridlock, there are few people better
equipped than park professionals to remind elected representatives what's really important to their constituents.

Can you share any grass-roots
success stories with us?
I can remember multiple times when an important vote was about to occur and I was
able to influence policy-makers with a simple
phone call. Legislators will tell you that they
simply don't have the time to read every bill
or know all the details. That's why our advocacy work is so very important: We have a responsibility to educate our legislators on how
parks, recreation and conservation funding
helps preserve, protect, and enhance our local communities and our nation.
-Interview by Maureen Hannan
May 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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