Roger
Brown was a practitioner who enjoyed his focus at the local level. While
doing so, he realized that to do his best job for his constituents he would
need to keep abreast on what was happening in the parks and recreation field
around the country. This interest led to his becoming involved in
professional organizations at the state, regional and national levels.
Through the encouragement of his good friend and fellow AAPRA member, Ralph
Wilson, he would later in his career lend his leadership and organizational
skills to a leading international organization.
During Roger’s 38 active years in the field of parks and recreation, he served as the director of seven different local departments. He left the local level only once and that was to serve his beloved National Recreation and Park Association for over four years as its first Southeast Regional Director. Roger had the unique opportunity to start two local government programs. He began his career in Calhoun, Georgia in 1959, and after retiring from the City of Greensboro, North Carolina in 1992, he undertook the task of developing a new park and recreation district for a large urbanized and unincorporated area in Clackamas County, a suburb of Portland, Oregon.
Roger worked tirelessly throughout his career in service to several professional organizations. His peers gave him the opportunity to hold several elected offices, including president, of organizations that include the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Society, the American Park and Recreation Society, the National Council of NRPA, and the National Recreation and Park Association.
After an illness forced the president of the International Federation of Parks and Recreation Administration to abandon his duties, Roger, as president-elect and then as president, served the organization as its leader for two three-year terms. Its members credit Roger in bringing financial and organizational stability to the organization. IFPRA’s leadership recognized Roger’s achievements on behalf of the organization and honored him with a lifetime membership to its board.
While Roger gave of his time and effort to professional organizations he saw as being extremely important, it was his work at the local level that Roger most treasured. He left all of the seven communities he served with programs and services that were recognized by their value to the community. While with the City of Greensboro, his department was recognized with two gold medals by the National Sports Foundation for excellence in the field of parks and recreation.
For his efforts and achievements at the local level, Roger received many honors from a host of local organizations and groups. Of these, Roger is most proud of the recreation center that was named for him by the City of Greensboro, and the district award established in his name by the North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District, given on an “as need” basis to members of the district who provide service worthy of this level of recognition.
The American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administration honored Roger Brown for all of his achievements and service to his profession in 1996 by electing him as a Legend in Parks and Recreation.