A Publication of Washington Recreation & Park Association WINTER 2009

2008 Annual Report

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Legislative Platform pg. 16

Technology pg. 18

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contents

WRPA Today is published by Innovative Publishing Ink. 10629 Henning Way, Suite 8, Louisville, KY 40241 • 502.423.7272Innovative Publishing Ink specializes in creating custom magazines

for associations and businesses. Please direct inquiries to Aran Jackson at ajackson@ipipublishing.com.

www.ipipublishing.com

President’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Executive Director’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Section News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

District News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Voters Overwhelmingly Support Parks! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Cultural Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2008 Annual Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

The WRPA Endowment Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Washington Recreation & Park Association Legislative Platform 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Spotlight Professional … in Parks and Recreation: Tara Mizell, CPRP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Essential Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

How to Join . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

The 2009 WRPA Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

WRPA Annual Conference & Trade Show. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Washington Recreation & Park Association4405 7th Avenue SE, Suite 202 • Lacey, WA 98503

P: 360.459.9396 • F: 360.459.4160wrpa@wrpatoday.org • wrpatoday.org

WRPA TodayGuidelines for Style & Format can be found on the WRPA Web site.

A Call for Cover Photos!A full-color cover photo will be featured on the April 2009 issue. Photos selected for the cover will represent a member, agency or organization. To submit cover photos for consideration (up to two per agency), please send via CD or e-mail directly to Colin Walker at cwalker@bellevuewa.gov. Deadline: February 10, 2009.

High-quality parks and recreation photos are needed! Photos considered for the magazine cover must be vertical and of the highest resolution (no smaller than 2.5 megs file size). The WRPA Public Relations Committee will review all submissions.

WRPA Public Relations Committee is Casey Stanley, Colin Walker, Scott River, Sarah Olson, Charles Sablan, Jennifer Gray and Sara Stratton.

For ad sales, call Bob Sales of Innovative Publishing Ink (IPI) at 502.423.7272.

Volume 23 Issue 4

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2009 Editorial CalendarApril issue: copy and photo/artwork due February 10July issue: copy and photo/artwork due May 10October issue: copy and photo/artwork due August 10January issue: copy and photo/artwork due November 10

On the CoverJalen Testerman, 7, tries a few moves as he “ciphers” at the Burien breakdancing “battle.”

Jalen is an up-and-coming breakdancer. He has performed with the Boom Squad (the SuperSonics’ Dance Team) back in the 2005-2006 season and, this year, has appeared on Ellen DeGeneres’ television show twice and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Photo taken by Ellen M. Banner

WRPA Today 3

2009 is finally here. I have to say I’ve been looking forward to a fresh new year. The past few months have been crazy in Washington state. The election season seemed to take on a life of its own while our economy was taking a nosedive. Local agencies had to prepare several versions of budgets to deal with rising costs and revenue shortfalls. Once again, our park and recreation services were on the chopping block. Internal competition from our own public works, police and fire departments, along with lower-than-anticipated sales tax and REET collections, will reduce our ability to serve our communities. It is a scary and uncertain time for many of our park and recreation departments. We must continue to fight for our place at the table and advocate for our important and essential programs and services.

One highlight of the fall season was attending the NRPA Congress in Baltimore, Maryland. The keynote speaker was Robert F. Kennedy Jr. What an amazing presentation! Mr. Kennedy is so passionate about saving the earth. It was easy to see why he was named one of Time magazine’s “Heroes for the Planet.” He started by working to restore the health of the Hudson River and has since trained others throughout the world to restore environmental damage in their own communities. He reminded us that global warming isn’t an opinion; it’s a scientific reality. The science tells us that human activity has made enormous impacts to our planet and will affect our well-being, even

our survival, as a species. We got ourselves into this mess, so we need to make changes to undo the damage that has been done. What are we doing in Washington to be more “green”? WRPA is making changes (remote access to meetings means less cars on the road, and electronic agenda packets and announcements mean less paper) … are you? I’d like to create an environmental committee (Green Team) to take a look at best practices across the state. If you are interested in this topic, please call the WRPA office and let us know. We can work together to reduce our impact on our neighborhoods and the earth.

At the conference, the NRPA Pacific Northwest Regional Council recognized several Washington professionals and organizations for their hard work and success in the field of parks and recreation. Congratulations to Jeremy Bubnick of the Peninsula School District, who received the Regional Young Professional Award; the Woodland Trail Association from Olympia for the Citation of Merit Award for an Organization; and King County Parks and Recreation, recognized for Overall Best Communicator.

The holidays are behind us, and the new year brings with it an opportunity to make a fresh start! The time is NOW! It’s time to get back to work with the resources we have, look for new partnerships and collaborations to expand our services and always be ready for new opportunities when they come by!

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. – Native American Proverb

Mary Dodsworth, CPRP

President’s Message

Executive Director’s Message

Brit Kramer, CPRP, CAE

Building a Better WRPA

2008 was a year of re-inventing WRPA. We are becoming more systematic and focused about the future of WRPA, and it shows. We’ve successfully transformed how we host our conference and trade shows to convention centers, launched a new interactive Web site and redesigned the content, look and feel of our magazine. We’ve embraced GoToMeeting technology and are boldly addressing our cultural competency concerns. We’re not done yet.

Join us in building a better WRPA so that we can continue to improve our resources and experiences for members. Our Board, sections and committees need your participation to deliver essential members services. Through your participation and service, we fully experience the power of the park and recreation community.

Preparing for New Possibilities and Collaborations

WRPA Today 5

Facility SectionThe Facility Services Section would like to honor Yvonne Defty as our Administrative Professional of the Year. Yvonne works for Mercer Island Parks and Recreation as its community center front office and customer service coordinator. According to staff members, Yvonne is always willing to help meet customers’ needs and expectations while also trying to assist coworkers with administrative duties. She continually suggests ideas for “a better way” of doing things. She strives to offer the highest level of customer service with fairness to all customers. Yvonne works tirelessly in scheduling customer service staff members to meet the needs of customers and the staff’s request for time off. She also always makes herself readily accessible to her staff and customers. In addition, she works hard to schedule the use of rooms at the community center in the most efficient and consolidated way possible in order to maximize the usable space for all concerned. She is a very valuable team member and well loved by all!

The Facility Services Section would also like to honor Semere Melake with our Going Green Award in acknowledgement of his efforts to “go green” by converting the city of Seattle’s scholarship allocation program to an automated system. This conversion decreased the amount of paper used during this process by 75 percent. The automated system has also decreased the application processing and notification time, as well as the amount of staff time needed to administer the program. These changes have improved management of scholarship resources, centralized monitoring of scholarship award requirements and eliminated staff and recipient concerns about the process. And, if that wasn’t enough, the new system Semere created established sound systems that ensure quality internal and

external customer service, meet auditing requirements and provide quality data to inform organizational decisions.

Athletic SectionThe National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS) believes that, in order to improve youth sports at the local level, change must often begin from the top down. That is why it created the Academy for Youth Sports Administrators (AYSA), a professional certification and education program for recreation professionals that recently held its latest clinic in Seattle, Washington, October 22-24.

The AYSA, which has certified almost 2,000 youth sports professionals to date, is currently offered in both online and onsite classroom style formats. In partnership with the Washington Recreation & Park Association, its most recent onsite Academy was held at the Tukwila Community Center, located just outside Seattle.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the onsite class; I was really pumped up when I got to work today,” said Angela Potts, Recreation Coordinator for the city of Walla Walla, Washington. “We are actually doing a lot right, and I really felt good about the direction that we have taken and where we are going.”

An intensive professional certification program, the Academy offers cutting-edge

information on critical issues in youth sports today. By attending the Academy in Seattle, attendees earned 3.0 continuing education units (CEUs).

“We are extremely pleased to have hosted the onsite Academy in the beautiful Tukwila Community Center and to provide an opportunity to earn the Certified Youth Sports Administrator (CYSA) credential,” said Lisa Licata, director of NAYS professional administrator programs.

Twenty-five recreation professionals, many of whom were from the Washington area, attended this latest Academy.

“I learned an awful lot and trust that I can implement the majority of it within the next 12 months,” said Danny Speer of the Selah Parks and Recreation Department.

Although the program is offered online, many youth sports administrators prefer the live clinics, where they have the opportunity to discuss the course content and how it relates to their program.

“I love meeting everyone and sharing stories and situations,” Potts said. “I think that the online class and the onsite class are two totally different experiences, and I would recommend that people attend the onsite class whenever possible. I think the online class gives you lots of information, but the explanation behind the information is missing, and that piece is gained when you go to the onsite class.”

Some of the topics covered at the Academy are youth sports philosophy, professional development, volunteer management, child abuse prevention, parent management, conflict resolution, insurance and risk management, and program evaluation and marketing.

Section News

Yvonne Defty, Mercer Island: Recipient of the Administrative Professional of the Year, awarded by WRPA Facility Section

6 WRPA Today

The Academy is the leading advocate for higher education for youth sports administrators. The Academy’s number-one goal is to provide attendees with the tools they need to build the foundation of knowledge necessary to positively impact the youth sports experience for all children.

Program SectionAttention, recreation programmers!

Are you being asked to create new programs but wonder where you’re going to find the time to plan one more activity? We are all feeling the demand for innovative programs that meet the needs of our community and/or generate much needed revenue in this slumping economy. Let’s work together!

In each future issue, we will feature one innovative or “cash cow” program submitted by WRPA members from around the state. We hope this will serve as a great resource for programmers feeling the pinch and trying to meet the ever-changing needs of their communities. Please send programs you would like to share with your fellow parks and recreation professionals to wrpa@wrpatoday.org.

Our first feature program was submitted by Amanda Morales, Recreation Specialist, City of Burien. Check it out, and feel free to copy the idea!

January’s Innovative Program:“Battle of Burien” Breakdance BattleThe Idea Phase: The “Battle of Burien” was started by a group of teens and one of our late-night staff members that came to the Burien Community Center on a regular basis to practice their breakdancing. After participating in other local breakdancing battles, the teens advocated to host a battle here in Burien.

Nuts and Bolts: By having one of our late-night staff members familiar with battles and the breakdancing community, it made hosting our first battle fairly easy. Flyers were created and distributed at other community centers around the area where crews are known to practice. Information was also posted on our teen program MySpace page as well as the Northwest B-boys Web site. The teens also distributed flyers while participating in other local battles.

The “Battle of Burien” is an event that runs mainly with the help of volunteers. We have one staff member serving as disc jockey for the event and one doing general supervision. Local dancers who choose not to battle help judge the event. We hope to get sponsors and donations for our upcoming battle, but the previous two battles were just for bragging rights.

The Basics: Held at the Burien Community Center• Doors open at 7 p.m.• $5 admission (It’s a fundraiser for our • Burien Teen Leadership Council)Three Battle Categories (the last event • included Top Rock Cypher, 4 on 4 Crew Battle and Grudge Battles)

Another Breakdance Battle Resource:The City of Shoreline Teen Programs has been hosting breakdance battles for more than seven years now. After attracting a large number of teens at their Hip Hop nights at the Rec Center, they expanded their program to include breakdance battles. They draw in up to 300 participants and spectators at their events. Their past event on October 18, 2008 (Freefall ’08), included Brooklyn-Rock Battle, 2 on 2 Battles, Open Mic and a Graffiti Battle. They hosted another battle, Winter Nights ’08, on Saturday, December 20. Information is available at www.recbattles.com.

The Basics:All events are free• Provide approximately nine staff • members and two police officersPromotes events through the breakers • from their center, as well as online, such as MySpace, Northwest B-boysProvides performances by local artists • to represent all elements of Hip Hop

Program Contact Information:Amanda Morales with the City of Burien at 206.988.3711 or amandam@burienwa.gov.

Waldo Nambo-Ojeda with the City of Shoreline at

206.801.2644 or wnambo-ojeda@ci.shoreline.wa.us.

Athletic Section/Fitnessand Wellness GroupThe Fitness and Wellness Group was started in February ’07 by Joan Perugini of South Bellevue Community Center. In her interview, one of the things she said she would do was coordinate a quarterly group meeting of professionals in the fitness and wellness field. We meet quarterly to discuss issues, trends, equipment and new program ideas in the area of fitness and wellness. The meeting host usually provides a tour of the fitness facility as well as lunch. There is a group of about 20 fitness enthusiasts that meets on a regular basis.

Once we started meeting, we learned that there once was a strong fitness component to the Athletic/Fitness Section. We are hoping to rejuvenate the fitness portion of the section and contribute to WRPA. If anyone is interested in joining our group, please e-mail kmay@ci.tukwila.wa.us.

Next Meeting: January 28, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in Redmond

Section News

WRPA Today 7

District News

District 1 and 2 Networking Recently, we held a roundtable meeting at Burlington Parks and Recreation Department for all programmers and coordinators. The goal was to share ideas about events and activities that work and to help each other with issues that we face in our own cities. The meeting started at noon and was scheduled to go until 2 p.m.; however, we all had so much to share and talk about, we didn’t leave Burlington Parks Department until 3 p.m. Thanks to everyone who attended the meeting and for sharing your ideas.

I’ve listed below a few of the ideas:Karen Emroy from Everett is running a great program called “Code • 10” for low-income families.Jane Lewis, also from Everett, is keeping busy running at least three • outdoor trips a week all year round, with most of them filling up before they even open the doors for registration. Andrea Hartland from Marysville is crazy about programming for • teens; she also shared that their “Popcorn in the Park” movie series was widely popular. Christi Kinney from Burlington was a wonderful host. She filled us • in on her popular “Pumpkin Pitch” event that took place Saturday, September 27, and there were some changes this year. Due to the safety of others and houses nearby, the contestants were not judged on distance, but only on accuracy and target. Sarah Olsen from Lynnwood talked about their “Get Movin” • program and the “Lynnwood Lights” winter celebration event and the great sponsorship she has with Community Transit. Also, it sounds like Lynnwood has an excellent “Flashlight Egg Hunt” for third- through fifth-graders that all staff members are involved with. Marianne Johnson, also from Lynnwood, showed us some great • vertical two-sided flyers that prove to be a perfect marketing tool. She also told us about the “Rock-It Fest” music festival that showcases high school to college-age bands. Shelly Costers, also from Lynnwood, is the new program coordinator • for the senior center. She organized a blues band to play for the senior center, served blueberry cobbler and had seniors on their feet dancing, and she called it, “BluesBerry Experience.” Lauren Woodmansee from Skagit County is keeping busy with the • “All Comers Track Meets” and doing a lot of family and adult trips. As for myself, I was proud to share that my Third Annual Anacortes Art • Dash Half Marathon, 10k and 5k is getting higher numbers and literally running smooth.

As the District One rep, I hope to organize another roundtable meeting further south in the early spring.

San Juan Island Tour RecapOn October 9, 2008, seven total recreation professionals from District One and District Two boarded the Anacortes ferry to visit Sally Thomsen, director of San Juan Island Park, and Abby Spann, the coordinator of San Juan Island Park, for a tour of the beautiful San Juan Island.

We learned great outdoor recreation ideas, especially for places to launch kayaks, and we also visited a lot of county parks that would be perfect for day trips. Some of the locations that we made stops at: Roche Harbor’s watershed trail, garden and sculpture park. We went to the following parks: San Juan Island County Park, English Camp, Lime Kiln Point and South Beach, also known as American Camp. If you have never been to South Beach/American Camp before, you should make sure you get a chance to see the beautiful beach that is covered with driftwood for miles and see the foxes that roam in the open fields next to the beach. Bring your coat, as it can be a bit windy.

It was a perfect day of networking and visiting a beautiful island. Sally and Abby are excellent tour guides and are open to any and all visitors.

District One Tour of San Juan Island: The trip was on October 9, 2008. It was a great day to take in the beautiful San Juan Island with locals. The goal was to see the historic sights, hiking trails, popular kayak spots, parks and to just learn more about the island. Sally was very happy to host us and would love for recreation departments to bring groups to the island more often.

From left to right: Marianne Johnson, Shelly Coster, Karen Emroy, Jane Lewis, Christi Kinney, Sarah Olsen, Nicole Johnston, Andrea Hartland and Lauren Woodmansee.Not pictured was Loren Cavanaugh, director of Burlington, and Bob Vaux, director of Skagit County, who stopped by to say hello.

Left to right: Fred Wong, Tami Cobb, Christi Kinney, Nicole Johnston, Skye Dunn, Sally Thomsen, Abby Spann and Sarah Olson. Not pictured is Cindy Johnson, who was taking the photo.

8 WRPA Today

District News

District 2KaBOOM! Names Mercer Island a Playful City!

Mercer Island was one of 67 communities across the country that has taken innovative approaches to make play a priority. Despite mounting budget issues, communities large and small, urban and rural, in the red and in the black, have created initiatives to increase both the quantity and

quality of play and playgrounds, as well as to increase access to existing opportunities to play.

To honor these cities and towns that have made this commitment to play, KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit dedicated to bringing play back into children’s lives, named them a Playful City USA community. Playful City USA is a national recognition program that honors cities and towns across the nation that put their children’s well-being first by recognizing and harnessing the power of play. KaBOOM! and qubo,

the television and online service for children, announced the list of 2008 Playful City USA communities and will support the initiative with an extensive marketing campaign.

This is the second year of the annual program, and 26 of the 31 founding Playful City USA communities have made the list again, while 41 new communities, including New York, Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, Orlando and Mercer Island, have joined the ranks. The agendas all of these communities have created impact not only childhood wellness, but also public safety and quality-of-life issues.

Each of the 2008 Playful City USA communities demonstrated creative commitments to the cause of play, including:

KaBOOM! also selected Mercer Island for its dedication to play. Mercer Island’s parks and recreation department came up with a frog

WRPA Today 9

mascot to promote local parks among kids. Children can meet the frog at local parks and get photos, and the city is running a contest to name the frog. Further efforts to promote play in the community include a children’s art contest and a “Destination Recreation” program designed to get kids out in the community and to playgrounds throughout the year. Kids can turn in their completed passport at the end of the program to get a prize.

“In a time when communities are struggling with critical financial decisions, Mercer Island proved its commitment to the cause of play by launching creative initiatives designed to increase access to playspaces, improve the quality of play in their community and increase the time children spend playing,” said Darell Hammond, KaBOOM! CEO and co-founder. “The ideas range the gamut, from new programming and access initiatives to creating informational resources and public-private partnerships. It just goes to show you, where there’s a will, there’s a play.”

District 6District 6 held a meeting in Spokane Valley at CenterPlace Regional Event Center on November 5. In attendance were professionals from Cheney, Pullman, Spokane County and Spokane Valley. Attendance was definitely lower than expected. The 2009 Eastside Skillbuilder is co-chaired by Megan Vining of Pullman and Kim Best of Cheney and will be held at Cheney Middle School on Saturday, June 13. Kim and Megan are currently looking for interested, enthusiastic people to join the committee. When the agenda item “what you would like to see us do as a district” came up, there was a healthy discussion about having an annual District 6 kickoff meeting to brainstorm the direction to take for the year with meetings, trainings, social events and tours to get the momentum going for the year. Jennifer Papich and Jera Donner, chair and chair-elect for District 6, are going to create a survey to send out through Survey Monkey to all District 6 members to find out how WRPA and the District can best serve them. For more information on District 6, please contact Jennifer Papich at 509.688.0190 or jpapich@spokanevalley.org. For more information on the 2009 Eastside Skillbuilder, please contact Megan Vining at megan.vining@pullman-wa.gov or Kim Best at kbest@cityofcheney.org.

District News

10 WRPA Today

Despite the economic downturn, support for our parks on November 4 was strong. This is significant for our parks, our profession and our communities. This is a clear statement to our policymakers about how

much parks and recreation are valued.

Of the 10 park ballot measures, eight were accepted, and two failed. Below is a list of the measures, along with a brief summary and election result.

Bainbridge Island Parks Levy Lift – 1. Accepted 54 PercentThe Park District Levy lid lift will provide funds for the following:

To acquire open space and additional park land.• To develop and improve open space and parks.• To maintain and operate existing and future district • properties to facilitate public use of and access to them.

Bellevue Prop 1 City Parks – 2. Accepted 67 PercentThis measure includes funding to enhance and maintain the Bellevue Parks & Open Space System. This would accomplish the following:

Protect water quality in Bellevue’s lakes and streams • and preserve natural areas throughout the city. Enhance existing parks.• Invest in sports fields, trails, community parks, and • neighborhood parks.Maintain improvements consistent with Bellevue • Parks’ standards.

Carnation Prop 1 Public Safety and Parks – 3. Failed 53 PercentThis proposition would provide additional monies that would be specifically earmarked for public safety, maintenance and operation of local parks (85 percent of these additional funds would be used to maintain existing law enforcement operations).

Finn Hill Parks District Six-Year Tax Levy – 4. Accepted 60 PercentThis will be used to fund the district’s operation and maintenance of Orion O. Denny Park. This proposed new

levy rate is lower than the first voter-approved levy, which is due to expire.

City of Mercer Island Prop 1 GO Bonds – 5. Accepted 55 PercentThis proposition authorizes the city to restore and improve Luther Burbank Park, improve existing parks and facilities, upgrade sports fields, develop trails and upgrade swim facilities.

City of Mercer Island Prop 2 Parks Levy – 6. Accepted 54 PercentThis levy will ensure the continued operation of Luther Burbank Park, improve forest and vegetative health of open spaces and operate and maintain park and recreation-related facilities and services.

City of Sammamish Prop 1 Parks Bonds – 7. Accepted 58 PercentThis proposition authorizes the city to issue general obligation bonds for the acquisition, development, construction and improvement of park, recreation and athletic facilities.

City of Samammish Prop 2 Levy Lid – Parks – 8. Accepted 54 Percent This proposition will fund park programs and operations and maintenance of park, recreation and athletic facilities. This will provide recreation programming to operate and maintain the new parks facilities funded by the bond levy.

City of Seattle Prop 2 Parks Levy – 9. Accepted 60 Percent This proposition will fund acquiring, developing and restoring parks, recreation facilities, cultural facilities, green spaces, playfields, trails, community gardens and shoreline areas.

South Whidbey Parks GO Bonds – 10. Failed 63 PercentThis proposition will authorize the district to construct facilities, including a multiuse community recreation, fitness and aquatics center and tennis center infrastructure.

For more information, visit our Web site at www.wrpatoday.org or www.mrsc.org.

Submitted by Shelley Dahle, WRPA Staff Member

Voters Overwhelmingly Support Parks!

District News

WRPA Today 11

Growing up in Spokane, where 92 percent of the population is white, children rarely have a first-hand experience with diversity. At least, that was the case for me. In school, there were only a handful of students who were of a different ethnicity. I was raised with the principle that all people should be treated equal, regardless of their race. I had always considered myself to be “color blind,” someone who does not treat or judge others differently because of the color of their skin.

This was my approach throughout high school and college, and it never seemed to impact me until I took an international and intercultural cultural class as part of my master’s program. Throughout this class, I learned about the history behind different cultures, including their past and present struggles. As the course continued, it became more and more apparent that being “color blind” was not necessarily a good thing.

If you are “color blind,” then you are keeping yourself from the reality of what diversity truly is. Unfortunately, many of us are trying to prevent uncomfortable situations and offending others. Therefore, we assume it is best to not recognize each other’s differences, just as I had done. However, we are in fact creating more harm by not recognizing others for their differences.

I want to be identified as a young, bright, devoted white female as much as the guy to my right wants to be identified as a middle-aged,

intelligent, hardworking black man. One thing I did not realize prior to this course is that all people, no matter what ethnicity or race, want to be identified for who they are. However, by being “color blind,” we are bypassing these important traits, and instead, we classify the man to my right as an African-American and resist learning more about him, in hopes of not offending him and causing him pain.

An aspect that really began to influence me is that, by not being culturally competent, I am, in return, hurting my organization and my community. Research clearly shows that if a group of people different from each other has, or can acquire, intercultural competence skills, they can, and do, significantly outperform groups made of individuals more similar to each other. Studies also show that well-managed diverse teams or organizations outperform others in the areas of quantity of work produced, creativity or innovation and quality of results. So we are essentially putting our organizations at a disadvantage by not being culturally competent. For us in the field of parks and recreation, our ability to be culturally competent directly affects our community. We are some of the most valuable leaders of our community, and if we are not culturally competent, how are we going to encourage our community to be?

The final assignment for this class was to write an in-depth paper on actions that an organization will need to take in order to establish intercultural competence throughout the organization.

Recognizing that one of WRPA’s strategic initiatives is to enhance the organization’s cultural competency, it was suggested that I write the paper on WRPA.

The paper outlines numerous actions that WRPA should consider to increase its cultural competency. A few of these are:

The need for the association’s leader’s commitment. • Conducting an assessment. • Creating an intercultural competence team. • Providing intercultural competence trainings.• Making necessary adjustments.• Establishing measurements and staying on course. •

WRPA is working to implement many of these actions. The WRPA Board has demonstrated its commitment to cultural competency by identifying it as one of four strategic initiatives. They have formed a Cultural Competence Committee that has been hard at work creating a work plan that will engage all WRPA members. It will include opportunities to attend education sessions at the Mid-Year and Annual conferences, trainings opportunities for members and the Board and, hopefully, a survey next year to assist the WRPA in identifying the cultural competency level of its individual and agency members. This article is also part of a new addition to WRPA Today magazine called the “Cultural Corner.”

I am thrilled to see all of these changes taking place and am excited to watch WRPA’s members benefit from being culturally competent and move forward with enhancing the communities we serve. Stay tuned!

For those who are interested in reading my original paper, it is now posted on the WRPA Web site at www.wrpatoday.org.

by Angela Cosby, Spokane County Parks & Recreation

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12 WRPA Today

Having confidence in our financial review is a Board priority. The committee solicited request for proposals for financial review services from local providers and opted to remain with Strader Hallet & Co., P.S. The proposal process demonstrated Strader Hallet’s services were competitively priced and affirmed the local integrity of the company. Based on this information and their past two-year performance working with WRPA, the committee chose to renew their contract.

To better align our program planning, Board training and fiscal year, the committee adjusted the annual budget process calendar to better align with WRPA strategic planning. This adjustment will help the Board work through the budget in advance of the Board transition process. The WRPA budget will now be approved in March annually for the fiscal year July through June.

In order to have a true reserve, WRPA needed to separate our reserves from our operating fund. We established a comfortable operating fund balance at $45,000 for the year and in October 2008 deposited the excess funds, which totaled $16,000.

Our biggest financial challenge will be to grow our reserve fund to the desired goal of $75,000 (15 percent) of our operating budget. The finance committee reviewed our reserve policy, and the Board formally renewed our commitment to achieve this goal by updating the policy at the September 2008 Board meeting. We are 20 percent of the way there!

In the year ahead, the Finance Committee will review and update each and every finance policy and work to be creative about how fast we can reach our reserve account goals, which we believe is one of the highest priorities in protecting and safeguarding our association.

WRPA Finance CommitteeBob Vaux – Vice President• John Keates – Past Treasurer• Karl Harris – Secretary/Treasurer• Tara Mizell – Treasurer• Jennifer Schroder – Past President• Jessi Richardson – Admin Section Chair• At Large – Daryl Faber• At Large – Pete Mayer•

WRPA News

2008 ANNuAL REPORTWashington Recreation & Park Association

Building a Stronger WRPAStatement from the Treasurer, Tara Mizell, CPRP

The newly established Finance Committee took a fresh look at our finances, realized there was room for improvement and chose to focus on the following priorities.

HistoryYear Members Budget Conference Location2009 TBA $503,334.00 Spokane2008 1,463 $494,756.00 Kennewick2007 1,530 $552,224.00 Semiahmoo2006 1,660 $439,292.00 Vancouver (with ORPA)2005 1,162 $587,835.00 Chelan2004 1,102 $594,374.00 Spokane – Davenport2003 1,086 $421,120.00 Skamania2002 1,358 $318,741.00 Wenatchee2001 unavailable $293,811.00 Ocean Shores2000 1,091 $281,163.00 Yakima1999 1,065 $290,690.00 Semiahmoo1998 1,080 $256,218.00 Pasco1997 1,075 $236,072.00 Tacoma1996 1,016 $224,095.00 Spokane1995 1,095 $195,378.00 Vancouver1994 1,014 $174,597.00 Wenatchee1993 1,077 $176,595.00 Olympia1992 1,173 $176,795.00 Tacoma1991 1,150 $154,110.00 Spokane1990 1,025 $141,010.00 Bellevue1989 1,050 $124,945.00 Pasco1988 990 $106,170.00 Bellingham1987 920 $96,860.00 Spokane1986 975 $96,500.00 Tacoma1985 1,050 $96,375.00 Vancouver1984 1,004 $97,700.00 Everett1983 775 $99,686.00 Pasco1982 750 $68,925.00 Bellevue1981 727 $47,845.00 Vancouver1980 704 $44,084.00 Yakima1979 672 $43,060.00 Bellingham1978 595 $29,170.00 Seattle

1977 574 $32,065.00 Spokane1976 575 $25,500.00 Pasco1975 591 $18,140.00 Vancouver1974 565 $15,675.00 Olympia1973 431 $12,600.00 Orcas Island – Rosario1972 505 $9,135.00 Yakima1971 592 $8,268.00 Bellevue1970 279 $6,088.00 Pasco1969 190 $5,744.15 Bellingham1968 262 $7,142.25 Seattle (with NRA)1967 263 $5,685.00 Olympia1966 313 $2,327.50 Spokane1965 239 $2,825.00 Ellensburg1964 221 $1,630.00 Tacoma1963 234 $1,565.00 Vancouver1962 170 $1,709.49 Yakima1961 130 $1,612.00 Kennewick1960 97 $1,500.00 Longview1959 146 $1,517.61 Olympia1958 150 $1,048.75 Wenatchee1957 83 $1,013.00 Spokane1956 92 $940.83 Seattle1955 53 $760.75 Yakima1954 50 $233.13 Seattle1953 44 unavailable Spokane1952 60 $320.39 Seattle (with NRA)1951 51 unavailable Seattle1950 60 unavailable Spokane (with WAHPER)1949 30 $10.76 Yakima1948 30 $40.44 Bellingham (with WAHPER)1947 31 $29.00 none

For Year-End June 2008

Cash Receipts Actual % Budgeted

Conferences $177,765.00 38% $187,136.00

Dues $163,217.00 35% $161,280.00

Section $116.252.00 25% $135,490.00

Fund Development $4,181.00 1% $2,500.00

Administrative Services $541.00 0% $600.00

Member Services $4,117.00 1% $6,750.00

Total Cash Receipts $466,073.00 $493,756.00

Cash Disbursement Actual % Budgeted

Conferences $95,996.00 22% $95,835.00

Section $78,704.00 18% $96,441.00

Administrative Services $205,813.00 48% $243,900.00

Member Services $21,017.00 5% $21,390.00

Public Affairs $29,331.00 7% $36,190.00

Total Cash Receipts $430,861.00 $493,756.00

Cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2008: $60,556

WRPA News

Finances

14 WRPA Today

Ms. Brenda L. BrownLynn Cheeney

Michael J. DobbGary A. Feroglia

Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Haslam

Bernard R. HayesJohn D. Loeser, MD

Yael MesaMrs. Evelyn Odegaard

Dennis Ohlde

Maxwell RamseyJennifer and Gary Schroder

United Way of King CountySharon M. Wortman

WRPA News

The WRPA Endowment Fund

Thank you to the following contributors who have donated directly to the endowment fund January 1, 2007-June 2008:

Thank you also to those who participated in the WRPA Golf Tournament and the Silent Auction at our Annual Conference & Trade Show. Both of those events directly benefit the WRPA Endowment Fund, and your support is so appreciated.

The membership charts shown here capture the most recent 18 months of membership reports. WRPA experienced a leap of nearly 500 memberships between 2005 and 2006 due to the energy created by the NRPA Congress hosted in Seattle in October 2006. This brought us to a record high of more than 1,600. You will notice, in late 2007, we released all those who did not continue membership and have since hovered near 1,450. In late 2008, we again purged our membership and experienced a drop of about 50 members and again are on a slow upward climb. During the past 18 months, our commercial memberships have grown 30 percent to a record high of 66; professional memberships grew 13 percent to 768.

November 2008

WRPA Today 15

The Washington Recreation & Park Association’s mission is to provide resources for the public and our members who create community through people, parks and programs.

Established in 1947, the Washington Recreation & Park Association (WRPA) is a nonprofit professional and citizen member organization serving more than 1,450 members, dedicated to enhancing and promoting parks, recreation, open space, arts and leisure pursuits in the state of Washington.

The Association plays a vital role in promoting and advocating public support for parks and recreation and increasing awareness of the necessity to preserve enhance and utilize leisure resources for a balanced lifestyle.

For the 2009 Legislative Session, the WRPA legislative agenda will be based on the following principles:

Parks are about helping build and sustain • healthy communities, especially important at a time when health care costs and obesity rates continue to rise.Parks are about • open spaces and recreation inside of growing communities, especially important with increasing population densities, and state policy goals associated with achieving climate change, the cleanup and restoration of the Puget Sound and livable and walkable communities.Parks are about • connecting communities through trails and greenways, especially important at a time when population growth puts more pressure on our natural resources, and scarce transportation dollars and ever-rising gas prices are inducing more people to walk and bike as an alternative to the automobile.Parks are • inducers of and incentives for economic development, urban plazas, waterfront parks, greenways, trail connections and the like are central to tourism.

WRPA Priority Legislative IssuesReal Estate Excise Tax The Association supports local-option legislation allowing cities and counties to use up to 25 percent of the revenue from the two local one-quarter-percent Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) collections to be used for maintenance and operations of parks and recreational facilities — provided these were acquired or developed with the REET.

Washington Wildlife Recreation Program (WWRP)The Association supports the 2009 request by the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO), the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Council (WWRC), WRPA and others to preserve a $100 million 2009-11 Capital Budget funding level for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) Grant program.

The Association Supports/MonitorsState Issues

Creating • an appointed seat on the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board for a WRPA representative.Monitoring • and advocating for legislation that would positively effect Metropolitan Park Districts in the state of WashingtonSupporting • the full use of fuel tax revenue derived from marine and off-road vehicles for the development and enhancement of support facilities for these uses.Supporting • Health Department and Healthy Communities Initiatives

Support for the Nutrition & Physical Activity Policy Leadership • Group (NPA-PLG)Support for the Washington State Nutrition and Physical • Activity PlanSupport for the Washington Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity•

Support • for legislative initiatives that enhance specialized and therapeutic recreation.Support • for legislative initiatives aimed at benefiting seniors and older adults.

Washington Recreation & Park Association

LEgISLATIvE PLATfORM 2009

WRPA News

Nancy Davis, MPD TacomaTim Gallagher, City of Seattle

Terry Higashiyama, City of RentonKathy Kravit-Smith, Pierce County

Craig Larsen, City of RedmondArvilla Ohlde, Emeritus

Larry Otos, City of Mount Vernon

Jessi Richardson, City of SammamishJenny Schroder, City of Kirkland

Ray Towry, City of EphrataBob Vaux, Skagit County

Committee Co-Chairs Shelley Marelli, City of Bellevue

John Keates, Mason County

WRPA Legislative Committee

16 WRPA Today

Washington Recreation & Park Association

LEgISLATIvE PLATfORM 2009

WRPA News

Support • for legislation benefiting statewide human services networks. Support • for legislation benefiting the arts, culture, tourism and heritage. Support • for legislation benefiting before- and after-school programs – After School Alliance.Support • for continued funding of parks and recreation, natural resource, park protection, forestry and related curriculum at State colleges and universities. Support • for sustained and increased funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs.Support • for legislation supporting the Puget Sound cleanup.Support • for Community Trade and Economic Development (CTED) funding.Opposition • to legislation that would adversely impact funding and flexibility for parks and recreation programs, or result in mandates that impose additional cost and resource pressures on parks and recreation officials. Opposition • to “gender equity” legislation if, like the 2008 version, it imposes extensive new reporting mandates on local parks departments without providing a positive way to address equal-access issues with playing fields and recreation programs. For 2009, WRPA is interested in working on the notion of a model policy to promote equal access for all races and genders to local play fields and to local parks and recreation programs.Monitoring • legislation related to growth management and land use that has potential to impact open space and parks. If a growth management bill is proposed that addresses GMA plan elements, WRPA will advocate for the addition of parks and recreation as a required element in local comprehensive plans.

Federal IssuesSupport for the National Recreation and Park Association Legislative Platforms, including:

Opposing • program cuts to the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program;Keeping • program funding in the reauthorization of SAFETEA-LU consistent with current program funding levels;Monitoring • the U.S. Department of Transportation’s rule-making standards on Section 4(f);Opposing • any plan to terminate LWCF state assistance;Encouraging • Congress to adopt a new national action agenda for urban parks and recreation;Opposing • cuts to the Community Development Block Grant program;Providing • $65 million in appropriations for CDC Department of Nutrition and Physical Activity to expand anti-obesity programming to all 50 states;Passing • the Play Every Day Act of 2007;Expanding • federal support for youth sports opportunities;Encouraging • federal support for therapeutic recreation options;Increasing • federal resources to assist at-risk youth;Passing • the Urban and Rural Diseases Prevention and Health Promotion Act; andSecuring • federal support for child-care programs and after-school activities, including the Child Care and Development Block Grant.

WRPA is strong on technology. WRPA is proud to announce the launch of the new WRPA Web

site. After months of design and development, the Public Relations Committee is pleased to be able to accommodate most of the functions desired by

the membership. With the exception of online membership renewals (due to complexities), the

site has achieved this through a content management system hosted by DotNetNuke

technology. The new look raised our professional profile and includes interactive forums for members

to communicate and share resources and provides members access to an online membership directory.

What you should know about the new site:

The public will continue to have a broad access to our site, including the job postings, trainings and calendars, legislative materials and everything under the “Discover WRPA” tab.

Password-Protected AreasThe first step to accessing the password-protected areas is to log on and create a password. In December, all current members were e-mailed instructions on how to do this. If you are a new member, our automated system will automatically send you an e-mail with your password and login instructions. Our database synchronizes with the Web site on the fly so that managing the protected areas is low-maintenance. The areas that are currently protected for members only are the online membership directory and the forums.

Forums (Members Only)WRPA Forums feed our need to communicate online. They consist of both networking groups and discussion topics. We invite you to test out the discussion topic area by providing your thoughts on the new

WRPA site design and function. Let us know what you like, or what’s lacking. All feedback is appreciated and will be shared with the Public Relations Committee for future site development. Also, check out what’s happening in your interest area — we’ve set up networks for all our sections, established subgroups and some special committees. If another network is needed, let the Public Relations Committee know, and we’ll add it to our site.

Online Membership Directory (Members Only)Search for members by name, agency or skill set. You will have the ability to edit your profile, update your e-mail address or add a skill set.

Join Online (Public)It should be easy to join WRPA. This new feature enables potential members the ability to join 24/7.

Public Relations CommitteeChair: Casey Stanley, Scott River, Sara Stratton, Colin Walker, Charles Sablan, Jennifer Gray, Sarah Olsen

WRPA News

TechnologyOn December 3, 2008, WrPa

launched a New Web Site!www.wrpatoday.org

“GoTo” made easy…

Members … Connect to committee and section meetings while at the comfort of your desk. WRPA leadership sets up the meetings using GoToMeeting and posts the phone and Internet details on the WRPA site. You simply phone in and point your computer to the specified Web

site, and you’re connected! If you are a first-time user of GoToMeeting, you will be prompted to download the free software, much like iTunes.

Early this year, WRPA will provide special training opportunities to further acclimate our leadership and our members to the GoToMeeting technology. If you are time-challenged, this is a tool you cannot live without.

GoToMeeting – or “GoTo” for Short…Proves to be the essential technology that WRPA can no longer live without…

WRPA News

Describe the scope of your position in parks and recreation:Serving as the Parks and Recreation Services Manager for the City of Marysville Parks and Recreation Department, my position offers a great variety of duties. I have the privilege of working directly with our coordinators, who supervise recreation and athletic events, as well as our senior center manager. It is important to me to maintain a hands-on approach to our classes and events. As our department has grown, so have my duties, including more HR functions, public meetings, software management, risk management and, naturally, a budget.

How long have you been with your present agency?Fourteen and a half years at the City of Marysville! We have a wonderful team of people and our office is located in the fabulous Jennings Memorial Park! Our mayor and city council are very supportive of our agency and believe in the importance of what we bring to the city.

Background experience and previous careers?Before coming to the City of Marysville, I worked at Bellevue Parks and Community Services as a recreation coordinator and for Camp Fire USA. Anyone who has ever worked at a summer camp can tell you it prepares you for everything. Parenthood, time management, adapting to new situations, lice, teambuilding, creative cooking methods and a love for noticing the beauty in everyday life.

What were some of your first jobs, and what did you learn from them?My very first job was working at a bank. Back in the “old days,” every account had a file, and each day, the bank processed the checks. I went after school and filed people’s checks into their accounts. It was a great experience because I learned I had to stay in school to make sure my “real” job had variety and the chance to help others. In college, I worked for University Recreation and discovered you could get paid and love what you do! Success!

Why are you passionate about the parks and recreation field?One of my favorite quotes is by Emerson: “To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch … to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

We have the ability in our profession to impact our communities in so many ways. We can be the difference of a child staying in school, lower health risk to our participants, keep a teen from making a bad choice, provide free or low-cost activities for families, open doors for adults and seniors to meet their neighbors, provide a safe haven from today’s turmoil and provide facilities for our participants to connect with nature and their communities.

What has been your biggest professional challenge?My biggest professional challenge was when Initiative 695 passed, and suddenly, our staff had 90 minutes to cut our budget by $100,000. We had spent the past several years building up our programs and establishing ourselves and our reputation as a solid provider of excellent service in our community. We lost employees, programs and special events across the board. We were asked to do more for less. The key has been to ensure we do the best job possible for our community while maintaining the highest level of integrity. It was a hard lesson to learn that other people’s priorities were so vastly different than my own.

What’s the best advice you can give to someone starting out in the field of parks and recreation?It’s not too late to switch to a career in police. Seriously, you have to love what you do. Our field requires crazy schedules, odd financial challenges, responding to changing political climates and dealing with people. That said, it also provides the greatest feeling of achievement when a park is opened for the first time, a new program is a hit, a senior has a place they feel safe, a child makes their first basket or a random citizen thanks you for what you do every day. I always stress to new folks in our field to network. I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have picked up the phone or e-mailed my WRPA contacts over the past 20-plus years. My WRPA colleagues have been there to encourage me, brainstorm, commiserate, teach me, evaluate and laugh.

SPOTLIghT PROfESSIONAL ...in Parks and Recreation

Tara Mizell, CPRP

WRPA Today 19

How Cities Use Parks for ... Economic Development

03 City Parks Forum Briefing PapersExecutive SummaryParks provide intrinsic environmental, aesthetic, and recreation benefits to our cities. They are also a source of positive economic benefits. They enhance property values, increase municipal revenue, bring in homebuyers and workers, and attract retirees.

At the bottom line, parks are a good financial investment for a community. Understanding the economic impacts of parks can help decision makers better evaluate the creation and maintenance of urban parks.

KEY POINT #1:Real property values are positively affected.

More than 100 years ago, Frederick Law Olmsted conducted a study of how parks help property values. From 1856 to 1873 he tracked the value of property immediately adjacent to Central Park, in order to justify the $13 million spent on its creation. He found that over the 17-year period there was a $209 million increase in the value of the property impacted by the park.

As early as the 19th century the positive connection between parks and property values was being made. Olmsted’s analysis shows the real dollar amount impact of parks. His study was not a unique situation, however. Several studies conducted over the last 20 years reaffirm his findings, in cities across the country. Below are more examples of how proximity to a park setting is connected to property values.

Chattanooga, Tennessee: In the early 1980s, this city was facing rising unemployment and crime, polluted air and a deteriorating quality of life. To lure middle-class residents back, local government, businesses and community groups decided to improve the quality of life by cleaning the air, acquiring open space, and creating parks and trails. As a result, property values rose more than $11 million, an increase of 127.5 percent.

Atlanta: After Centennial Olympic Park was built, adjacent condominium prices rose from $115 to $250 a square foot. As noted on the Centennial Olympic Park Web site, “Thousands of people who have made the move to downtown Atlanta have chosen Centennial Olympic Park as their front yard.” www.centennialpark.com.

Amherst, Massachusetts: Cluster housing with dedicated open space was found to appre- ciate at an annual rate of 22 percent, compared to a comparable conventional subdivision’s rate of 19.5 percent. This translated in 1989 dollars to a difference of $17,100.

KEY POINT #2:Municipal revenues are increased.

Another component of the Central Park study was an assessment of increased tax revenue as a result of the park. The annual excess of increase in tax from the $209 million in property value was $4 million more than the increase in annual debt payments for the land and improvement. As a result of building Central Park, New York City made a profit.

Increased property values and increased munic- ipal revenues go hand in hand. Property tax is one of the most important revenue streams for cities. By creating a positive climate for increased property values, the tax rolls will benefit in turn. As shown with Central Park, parks can both pay for themselves and generate extra revenue. In addition, tax revenues from increased retail activity and tourism-related expenditures further increase municipal monies.

Property Tax BenefitsChattanooga: Improvements in Chattanooga resulted in an increase in annual combined city and county property tax revenues of $592,000 from 1988 to 1996, an increase of 99 percent (Lerner and Poole, 1999).

Boulder: The presence of a greenbelt in a Boulder neighborhood was found to add approximately $500,000 in property tax revenue annually.

Sales Tax BenefitsOakland, California: The presence of the East Bay Regional Park District is estimated to stimulate about $254 million annually in park-related purchases, of which $74 million is spent in the local East Bay economy.

Shopping Districts: Surveys indicate that prices for products in districts with trees were on average about 11 percent greater than in no-tree districts; the quality of products were rated 30 percent higher than in areas with no sidewalk landscaping.

Tourism-Related BenefitsAtlanta: Centennial Olympic Park has an estimated 1.5 million visitors each year, attending 175 public events.

San Antonio, Texas: Riverwalk Park, created for $425,000, is lined with outdoor cafes, shops, bars, art galleries and hotels and has overtaken the Alamo as the most popular attraction for the city’s $3.5-billion tourism industry.

KEY POINT #3:Affluent retirees are attracted and retained.

“There is a new, clean growth industry in America today — The industry is retirement migration” (Foreword in Longino, 1995, 7).

By the year 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 1 in every 4 Americans will be 65 years of age or older, creating an affluent group of retirees with financial benefits, including Social Security, military benefits, and pension plans. With an average life expectancy of between 75 and 83 years, this is a significant population group, both in size and affluence.

To read the rest of the article, please visit:http://www.planning.org/cityparks/briefingpapers/economicdevelopment.htm.

Essential Services

20 WRPA Today

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Our mission: To provide resources for the public and our members who create community through people, parks and programs.

WRPA is committed to advancing the parks and recreation field by providing opportunity for the professional growth of individuals employed in or volunteering in the parks and recreation services field.

WHY WRPA?Information • Networking • Advocacy • And much more!

HOW TO JOIN…

Membership Year A membership year is based on a one-year period, commencing from either July 1 or January 1.

Dues Structure: The membership dues for individuals are structured according to current salary and for agencies are based on operating budgets.

Complete membership details and applications can be found on the WRPA Web site.

WHICH MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY FITS?

Individual Professional — For individuals currently employed in the field of parks, recreation and leisure services. See WRPA Web site for membership details: www.wrpatoday.org *Dues based on annual salary.

Associate — For individuals who live out-of-state or who are not currently employed in the field but who wish to keep informed through section affiliation and receipt of publications. Dues $51

Student — Individuals attending school and wishing to learn more about the profession through section affiliation and receipt of publications. Dues $25

Emeritus — For individuals who have retired and wish to remain involved and informed about the association. Dues $45

AgencyActive Agency — Any agency that has as its primary activity the planning and delivery of recreation services or the management of park and natural resources. See WRPA Web site for membership details: www.wrpatoday.org. Dues are based on annual operating budget.

Affiliate Agency — Any agency that provides recreation services as a secondary function; these include institutions, social service organizations, hospitals, nursing home, military installation and academic institutions. Dues are $162 for director only, or $260 including your board.

CommercialAs a commercial member, your company supports the activities of the Washington Recreation & Park Association. We urge WRPA members to support and patronize those companies that have demonstrated commitment to our state organization. Dues $500

How to Join...Established in 1947, the Washington Recreation & Park Association is a not-for-profit professional and public interest organization that is dedicated to enhancing and promoting parks, recreation and arts pursuits in Washington state.

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WRPA Today 21

In our efforts to promote and encourage innovation and excellence, the Washington Recreation & Park Association has established a series of awards to honor noteworthy contributions to our communities and to parks and recreation.

Professional Awards acknowledge outstanding performances by individuals, while Spotlight Awards focus on projects and programs.

The awards are presented at the WRPA Annual Conference Awards Banquet. This year, the conference will be held April 28-May 1 in Spokane, Washington. The Awards Banquet will be the evening of April 30. Recipients of the WRPA Spotlight Award of Excellence will be invited to give a presentation during an educational session at the conference. A news release announcing all award recipients will be distributed to major print, radio and TV media in the Puget Sound, southwest, central and eastern Washington areas. Award recipients will also be featured in the summer edition of WRPA Today and highlighted on wrpatoday.org. Selected members of the WRPA Executive Committee, including the WRPA executive director, will accompany the Distinguished Service and Young Professional Award winners to their respective city/county council or park Board meeting to make a special presentation.

Professional AwardsProfessional Awards recognize contributions made by professional members of the Association to the betterment of parks and recreation in the state of Washington in the following categories and considering the noted criteria:

Honor Fellow Award: • the highest recognition bestowed by WRPA. Distinguished Service Award: • honors recently retired professionals for outstanding service in the field of parks and recreation. Young Professional Award:• recognizes up and coming future leaders in the profession.

Citations of MeritCitations of Merit recognize contributions made by individuals to the betterment of parks and recreation in the state of Washington in the following categories:

Legislative Award:• recognizes individuals who have contributed to parks and recreation through legislative action. Citizen Volunteer Award:• recognizes a lay citizen who has made a significant impact to parks and recreation in their community or throughout the state. Organization: • Awarded to an organization that has supported park and recreation programs and projects or that has made

significant contributions in the interests of parks and recreation. Professional: • Awarded to a professional who has been an effective participant in WRPA in recognition of that individual’s contribution to the field of parks and recreation. Candidates must be a resident of the state and a member of WRPA.

Spotlight AwardsSpotlight Awards honor public agencies for outstanding or unique achievements:

Class I – More than 35,001 population• Class II – 35,000 and less population•

Sub-CategoriesParks: • projects like community or neighborhood parks, tot lots, playgrounds and trails.Trails: • projects like multiple- or single-use trails, greenways, neighborhood connectors, safe routes to school, scenic, historic, fitness and/or backcountry trails.Facility: • projects like community, fitness, aquatic, recreation and nature centers.Sports Complex:• projects like softball, baseball or soccer fields.Special use:• projects like golf courses, skate parks, ice skating rinks and other recreation facilities that do not fit within the first four subcategories.Best Brochure:• single issues of general marketing brochures promoting points of interest, events, activities and facilities. Best Park or Trail Map: • maps depicting comprehensive park and/or trail systems or maps highlighting an individual park and/or trail. Events, Fairs and Festivals:• holiday events, community celebrations, large scale athletic or community events.Youth and Adult:• day camps, leagues, teen programs, senior programs, egg hunts, trips, tours and so on.

General Application GuidelinesShare the excitement of the awards by nominating an outstanding individual, organization, facility, media presentation or program for an award. The application will not take long, and the pleasure you may receive at seeing your applicant recognized by their peers will be long-lasting and rewarding. The application forms are available electronically at www.wrpatoday.org.

22 WRPA Today

OfficersPresident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mary Dodsworth, CPRP Past President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Schroder, CPRPPresident-Elect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bruce Fletcher, CPRPVice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob VauxTreasurer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tara Mizell, CPRPSecretary/Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Karl Harris

District RepresentativesDistrict 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicole JohnstonElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Karen EmoryDistrict 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michelle Larson, CPRPElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cathy Jones, CPRP

District 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Meredith CuttingElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vacantDistrict 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James FieldsElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lisa DeaneDistrict 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Brad CaseElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caryl Morrell, CPRPDistrict 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Papich, CPRPElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jera Donner

Section ChairsAdministrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jessi RichardsonElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ray TowryAquatics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jenny WilsonElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KC GereAthletic/Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cody GeddesElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michelle Larson, CPRPFacility Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joanna Puthoff, CPRPElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brad BennettPark Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Curt BreesElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gavin LeeProgram Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tamara CobbElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sara MillbauerTeen Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim WesthusingElect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Louise Webb

Standing CommitteesCertification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Bemm, CPRPConference Education Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sue FalashConstitution & Bylaws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Todd AndersonHigher Education Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Courtney BrownLegislative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shelley Marelli and John Keates, CPRPMembership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mary FaberPublic Relations Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Casey Stanley

Special CommitteesStrategic Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bruce Fletcher, CPRPFinancial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Keats, CPRPDiversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry SmithScholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Karl HarrisEndowment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynn Cheeney, CPRP Silent Auction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tara Mizell, CPRP

LiaisonsEmeritus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Margaret McCormick, CPRPWSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Don HochRCO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kaleen CottinghamAWC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Craig Larsen WACO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathy Kravit-SmithBoard & Commissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dick MoeHabitat & Lands Coordinating Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Leslie BetlachNRPA Research Advisory Committee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pete Mayer

WRPA StaffExecutive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brit Kramer, CPRP, CAEOffice Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shelley DahleOffice Assistant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Iverson

WRPA is proud to be an Affiliate member of the National Recreation & Park Association.

NRPA2237 Belmont Ridge Road • Ashburn, VA 20148

703.858.0784 • www.nrpa.org

Conference DatesWRPA Annual Conference

2009 Spokane, April 28-May 1

NRPA Congress2009 Salt Lake City, October 13-17 • 2010 Minneapolis, October 26-30

2008-2009 Washington Recreation & Park Association

PRSRT STDUS POSTAGE

PAID PONTIAC, IL

PERMIT NO. 592

Washington Recreation & Park Association4405 7th Avenue SE, Suite 202Lacey, WA 98503

Idris Jassim Al-Oboudi has been working in the field of recreation for the past 26 years. He is currently the manager of parks and recreation for the city of Manhattan Beach, California. Idris is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards and state/national and international notoriety and acclaim.

Born in Baghdad, Iraq, as a gifted child, Idris was selected to attend a distinguished Soviet/Russian school for music and ballet. He was selected as a scholarship student to study in the Soviet Union. In his youth and as a young adult, Idris was involved with premier and groundbreaking international dance, theatrical and cinema productions.

Idris brings a unique multicultural worldview to his visionary, imaginative and exciting presentations. Be prepared to turn your passion into practice and his challenge to live, learn, love and leave a legacy.

John L. Crompton holds the rank of distinguished professor of recreation, park and tourism sciences at Texas A&M University. He received his basic training in England. His undergraduate work was in physical education and geography at Loughborough College. After teaching high school for a year, he attended the University of Illinois, where he completed a master’s degree

in recreation and park administration in 1968. In 1970, he was awarded another master’s degree from Loughborough University of Technology, majoring in business administration.

In 1970, he joined Loughborough Recreation Planning Consultants as their first full-time employee. When he left as managing director in 1974, LRPC had developed into the largest consulting firm in the United Kingdom, specializing in recreation and tourism, with a full-time staff of 25, which was supplemented by a number of part-time associate consultants.

Kirby unti – Closing Speaker“The river is rolling and there is white water in our future.” A good river guide will tell you to “be sure to position yourself before you enter the rapids.” We are living in a time of incredible change. Organizations have to rethink how they are positioned to deal with change. Planning has taken on a whole new twist. The future demands team work and learning how to form new collaborative

partnerships with an every increasing diverse culture. Kirby is a proven guide in helping organizations position themselves for the future.

Kirby has served as a pastor of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Renton for the past 27 years moving the church from survival mode into being an active partner in the community. Kirby has been an active player in a number of social and community service organizations, including the Salvation Army, 40 Assets, Connection Adult Day Care, Congregations for the Homeless, serving as a past president of Renton Rotary, the Renton Community Foundation and the Emergency Feeding Program, just to name a few. When Kirby is not involved in serving his community, you will find him and his wife, Kim, on board their pocket trawler enjoying the Northwest’s waters.

WRPA Annual Conference & Trade Show April 28-May 1, 2009 Visit Web page for more info and to register!www.wrpatoday.org