 BULLETIN
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In this Issue... |
BULLETIN
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In this Issue... |
In recent months I have read several times that employers will value those workers that take "information" and turn it into "knowledge". When I see statements like that which use common words, i.e. information and knowledge, I grab my "cheater" glasses (the kind that enlarge words) and head to the dictionary to see if they have changed the meaning of words I thought I knew.
Webster's Encyclopedia Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, 1989, defines Information as "knowledge communicated or received concerning a particular fact or circumstance; news; any knowledge gained through communication, research, instruction, etc. Knowledge is defined as "acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles as from study or investigation; the body of truths or facts accumulated by mankind in the course of time."
What struck me about the knowledge definition was the phrase "... accumulated by mankind in the course of time". We are accumulating facts and truths at an alarming speed so the "course of time" is diminishing quickly. We are often pushed to make decisions with little or no "information", relying often on our "knowledge" which in some cases may be our gut-feeling or intuition. This decision making process may be
good or bad. To maintain our edge in this world as park and recreation professionals we must constantly improve our skills or gathering and sharing information. We should work to create "knowledge networks" to draw upon the knowledge of our neighborhoods, communities and profession to help us work not harder but smarter. Our networks should include a broad range of people. Futurist Daniel Burrus states "Business leaders must realize that information is now a commodity because of today's widespread use of the Internet. Our employees can no longer be information dispensers. The majority of economic value creation over the next five years and beyond will come, to a large extent, from converting data and information into knowledge, and high margin knowledge-based products and services.1"The Academy can assist us in creating professional knowledge and it can assist in sharing that knowledge. The Academy is an untapped "knowledge network." We have collective a knowledge base of 2,500+ years in parks and recreation management experience and how often do we connect with each other?
Academy members that have access to e-mail recently received a message from Peter Witt who has developed an Academy listserve that members can use to draw upon both the information and knowledge of our members. We need to use the technology of the Internet to both capture and share our collective knowledge. I encourage all members to go "on line" and ask questions, share ideas and challenge our thinking. If you did not receive the e-mail from Peter, the listserve is named AAPRA. If you have any questions, Peter can be reached at rpwitt@rpts.tamu.edu. We have a website now also at http://wwwrpts.edu/AAPRA/Index.html that contains our newsletter, up-to-date list of Academy members, and other
information about the Academy. I thank Peter for all his hard work getting these two projects underway. We must work towards creating "high margin knowledge-based products and services".In closing, here are websites I have found useful in expanding my "knowledge" about the future, management, etc:
Hope to hear from you on the listserve!
1 "Designing Your Future," article by Daniel Burris, 1997.
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I am honored to have the opportunity to update members of the Academy on some of the more pertinent activities that the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has undertaken over the past six months. So much has happened since I was installed as NRPA President last November at a special meeting of the Association.
1999 Congress
The cancellation of the annual NRPA Congress and Exposition due to Hurricane Georges certainly was a disappointment to all of us who look forward to congregating every year to learn, network and celebrate the importance of the park and recreation field. The 1999 Congress, October 20-24 in Music City (Nashville, Tennessee) promises to be one of the biggest and best events ever held - and I say that without hesitation. I have watched the Nashville Local Host Committee, led by Jim Fyke, in action and not one stone has been left unturned. There will be 12 on-site institutes, more than 250 educational sessions offering CEUs, an exciting exhibit hall with more than 900 exhibitors, and a special concert just for NRPA delegates by nationally known recording star Wynonna Judd.
Public Policy
NRPA has made significant headway in many public policy areas. We are encouraged that President Clinton has formally endorsed his support for funding for both federal and stateside Land and Water Conservation Funds. This new push from the Executive Office (called "Lands Legacy Initiative") is just the impetus that all of us need to rally support for maximizing our investment in this critical area. The Lands Legacy Initiative represents a 125-percent increase in federal spending on parks, open space, and conservation, and will be included in the President's 2000 budget request. The NRPA Public Policy Division, Public Policy Committee, the National Issues Actions Committee and a whole host of other people are working to make this a reality.
National Programs
NRPA's National Programs office has been moving at a rapid-fire pace. Headed by Kathy Spangler, CLP, these programs are providing NRPA with fantastic tools for its agencies, and significantly broadening NRPA's awareness in the public eye. Projects with the National Football League, the U.S. Tennis Association, the Hershey Foods Corporation, and Ladies' Home Journal are just a few of the tremendous success stories in this area. Through a recently formed work group at NRPA, called the NRPA Partnership Workgroup, many new initiatives have been added to this already bountiful plate.
NRPA Millennium Project
The NRPA Millennium Project is in development and will be formally launched in the near future. Focusing on events from July 1999 through July 2000, this collective approach asks our agencies to plan their events and share their stories with not only other NRPA members but with the public as well.
Partnerships
NRPA is also working with the Nickelodeon Network on a program called "Nickelodeon's Big Help Youth Volunteer Program," which focuses on local parks. More than 13,000 communities will participate in events to recognize, restore, revitalize and re-invigorate the spirit and vitality of parks through participation by children.
We are teaming up with the Association for International Youth Sports (AIYS) on an initiative to raise funds for park and recreation projects through tie-ins with retail stores, most notably grocery chains. We are always encouraging corporate support for park and recreation activities and campaigns and believe that this program has wonderful potential.
Publications
In the area of marketing and communications, the growth and development of NRPA's flagship publication, Parks and Recreation, continues. Advertising revenue for the magazine will exceed $1 million at the close of the fiscal year in June for the first time in Association history. The primary importance of this is the added growth in revenue enables NRPA to undertake many new initiatives and projects. The financial success of the magazine is directly related to its editorial and graphic appeal.
NRPA will also be releasing a new publication in November titled
"The Millennium Vision: Exploring the Future of Parks & Recreation." It will feature articles and opinions by a variety of individuals inside and outside the field, focusing on where parks and recreation is headed as we enter the next century. All NRPA members will receive a copy with their November issue of Parks and Recreation.Year of Service Projects
NRPA will also be leading "The NRPA Years of Service," which will feature park and recreation agencies conducting one event per year dedicated to bringing the community together to advance and support park and recreation services. Starting in October in Nashville at the NRPA Congress, and concluding in Phoenix at the 2000 NRPA Congress, NRPA will encourage all of its agencies to participate.
NRPAnet
In the area of Information Resources, NRPA is proud to announce that in October 1998 we surpassed the 1,000 total for members in the NRPAnet, NRPA's private online service. The listserv, enabling members to post and learn about topics in the field, has proven extremely valuable and popular, and is one of the best tools in the industry for getting accurate information in a timely manner.
Membership
NRPA's "agency membership category" has hit an all-time high of 1,101. Overall, NRPA membership is down slightly primarily because of the cancellation of the NRPA Congress & Exposition in Miami Beach. Several initiatives are being undertaken including the College and University initiative, the "Each One, Reach One" program, and the "Special 25 Project."
Great emphasis has been placed this year on citizen involvement and membership in NRPA. Citizens are the true "lifeblood" of the park and recreation movement. Their support and leadership dictate how successful a park and recreation agency and system can be. Their involvement ultimately can result in more funding, including much needed capital investments. Their support makes movements like the Land and Water Conservation Fund a reality. We need to cultivate and capture the spirit of these people and energize them to advance the initiatives of NRPA. A soon-to-be launched citizen membership category with benefits is being developed as I write this. To help assist you in this endeavor, NRPA has developed a 10-minute video about how citizens can become involved in park and recreation. It works as an excellent welcome to any speaking engagement. To order a copy, they are available through NRPA membership for $10.
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The Academy will receive nominations to be considered for the 1999 Pugsley Medals, the Academy's highest professional award. Medal winners will be honored at the 1999 Academy Banquet to be held in Nashville.
The Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medals were established in 1929 by Chester D. Pugsley, a Trustee of the American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society in honor of his father, Cornelius Amory Pugsley, a former Congressman and conservationist from New York. They reflect Mr. Pugsley's life-long interest in parks and recreation, and recognized outstanding performance and accomplishments of park professionals at the
municipal/county and national levels.The significance of this medal in the profession dictates that nominees considered have contributed through actions of most notable accomplishments and significance. Therefore, that will be the criteria for awards. There have been past years when no nominations meeting this criteria were received in some categories, and subsequently, no medals were awarded in those instances.
Nominations may be made for accomplishments in the following four categories representing areas of the profession:
The written nomination highlighting the nominees's outstanding professional performance, contributions and accomplishments should be concise and to the point, and include a
biographical sketch of the nominee. Should the nominator wish to enclose letters of endorsement, no more than two (2) letters should accompany the written nomination. Nominees do not need to be a member of the Academy.The deadline for nominations is Monday, June 14, 1999.
Nominations, an original and four (4) copies, are to be addressed and mailed to:
Members of the 1999 Pugsley Awards Committee include:
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Under a unique partnership, Indiana University's Department of Recreation and Park Administration recently assumed management of the Indianapolis Parks and Recreation Department. Dr. Joel Meier, Chair of IU's Department of Recreation and Park Administration, announced that the responsibility for management of Indy Parks will fall under the depart-ment's Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands. Created in 1993 to provide expertise to parks and recreation systems throughout the state, the Eppley Institute is the outreach arm of IU's Department of Recreation and Park Administration. James Ridenour, director of the Eppley Institute, is a former director of the National Park Service and of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Under the partnership, the Eppley Institute's Jim Parham will become director of the Indy parks system, running the department on a daily basis. Parham is a former director of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources public affairs division and assistant director for the land and water conservation fund and urban grants programs for the National Park Service.
The initial management contract is for six months, but Indianapolis Mayor Steve Goldsmith anticipates extending the contract after six months to a full year. He said the city's work with the institute on a comprehensive long-term plan for the future of the parks system led him to conclude that the university and Eppley Institute would be the best
organization in the country to lead the department. IU President Myles Brand called the arrangement a "public-public collaboration" and said the university as well as the city of Indianapolis will benefit from the association. "Indianapolis gets a proven, experienced park leadership team. Our faculty, students and staff will have an opportunity for practical experience. There will be an opportunity for students to observe first-hand a university partnership dealing with real-world problems."For further information about this announcement, please contact Dr. Joel Meier, Chair, Department of Recreation and Park Administration, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405. Phone: (812) 855-4189; e-mail: jfmeier@'reindiana.edu.
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Bill Mott was a legend in the park and environmental field and will go down in this country's history in these areas with John Muir, Frederick Law Olmsted and Teddy Roosevelt.
I can speak from a long and lasting friendship with both Bill and Ruth Mott. I first met Bill when in 1954, I came down from Seattle to be the Public Relations Director and one of the campaign managers for the United Bay Area Crusade. Bill Mott was the Public Relations Chairman and Vice President of the United Way at the time. This began a forty year friendship and close working relationship with him. When he became General Manager of the East Bay Regional Park District in 1962, I joined him at his request and ultimately succeeded him as General Manager when he moved to Sacramento to take over the reigns of the California State Park Department. But that friendship and working relationship extended for forty years. Of Bill Mott's nearly sixty years of involvement in conservation, the greatest share - 31 years - were spent working in the East Bay. As was stated when in 1996 he was named to the National Park and Recreation HALL OF FAME, he held the distinction of being the only park leader in the United States who had held top leadership positions at the city, regional, state, and national park levels. At the age of 78 he continued working, in this case to help see the Presidio of San Francisco transferred from an Army base to a part of the National Park System. As a result the Presidio Management Plan was dedicated to him and Congress, through the help of our own Bay Area congressional delegation, legislation on
the Presidio also officially named the Presidio Visitor Center for him. As Bill stated at this time, "What should be the big picture? Where is the vision that will stir our blood, that will be commensurate with the unique quality, beauty, and inspiration of this world-class site."The William Penn Mott, Jr. Memorial Fund was established just after his death and our all-pro-bono Board and associates vowed to raise the private funds necessary to commemorate Bill Mott's memory and creative genius by raising $150,000 to match a pledge of $150,000 from Ambassador Bill Lane, whom you know best as publisher of Sunset Magazine and Books. The money raised will provide exhibits showing his leadership in all of the venues he served; will provide educational materials used by school children and their teachers at that Visitor Center (one of Bill Mott's lifelong goals which he initiated everywhere he went) and the video on his life which will be shown there. We also arranged for a book, "Prophet of the Parks" to be written by Mary Ellen Butler, about which you will hear more later, and we have planned and worked to make the October 3 GALA honoring Bill Mott at this same location a huge success. Any of you who so desire are invited to attend this GALA and hosted luncheon.
We all know that Bill Mott was an uncommon man, who had great ideas and pursued them with diligence, As the famous writer, Thomas Carlyle once said: "Never give up, never give in. You've got what it takes and God will help you."
Bill Mott never gave up and never gave in and his belief in God helped him achieve the awesome goals he set for himself and the advancement of parks for people and the protection of the environment locally, regionally, nationally, and even world-wide. I know you share our pride in Bill Mott's leadership.
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Two long time Academy members, Christopher Jarvi and Dick Trudeau, joined in extolling the creative leadership of the late Bill Mott, also a charter member of the Academy, at a GALA celebration honoring Mott in Oakland, California on Saturday, October 3, 1998.
The event, attended by 225 friends, park leaders and community leaders in California also heard from Trudeau, chair of the Mott Memorial Fund, that the goal of raising $500,000 for the recently named Mott Visitor Center at the Presidio of San Francisco had been achieved. The funds will be used primarily for exhibits showing Mott's unusual leadership at local, regional, state and national park venues. Mott also just before his death in 1992 had successfully developed the plan which changed the Presidio of San Francisco from a military base to a national park. The Master Plan for the Presidio was dedicated to Mott and he was honored by being elected to the National Park HALL OF FAME in 1997, with the presentation made at the NRPA Congress in Salt Lake City.
Jarvi, President of NRPA this past year, said that Mott had served as an unforgettable role model. "Bill Mott was an example of how to be an exemplary human being as well as a consummate professional, Jarvi said. "He had energy, tenacity, and the ability to create a vision for the future."
Trudeau. chair of the Mott Memorial Fund, indicated at the GALA that private funds from foundations and individuals had reached the $150,000 mark, matching the pledge of former U.S. Ambassador to Australia of $150,000. The funds will be used also for a video of Mott's life, educational materials to be used with students from various schools visiting the Mott Visitor Center. Working with students in learning about parks and the environment was a strong tenet of Mott.
NRPA is also publishing a book on Mott's leadership, "Prophet of the Parks," written by Mary Ellen Butler, a local author. Both the book and the Mott Visitor Center are expected to be available during the spring of 1999.
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In the February 1999 "Issues and Answers", I requested Academy members to provide specific success experiences and challenges that we will be facing in the new millennium. As our population of senior citizens continues to rise, providing discount programs and reduction of fees for all types of facilities, programs and services with limited financial resources is an increasing concern. From my own experience in Lake County, we have a very active and vocal senior contingent. In order to meet these requests, our District has instituted a number of programs and services dedicated toward senior citizens.
This year, the Lake County Forest Preserve District will host its 27th Annual Senior Day Celebration. The seniors enjoy a day of good times, friends, musical entertainment, dancing, refreshments, games and health and community service information exhibits. This award winning event is provided free of charge to over 5,000 seniors and is made possible through the support of corporate sponsors, private donations, community involvement and many volunteers. The cost of the 1998 event was approximately $22,000, with major sponsors donating approximately $10,000 and 23 for-profit exhibitors paying a fee of $300 each. Twenty-seven community service and various health care informational and other non-profit organizations displayed booths at no charge. In-kind contributions for bingo, raffle prizes and gift certificates totaled $34,000, and volunteer time totaled $2,200.00.
The District also provides senior discount rates at our golf courses.
Resident seniors (62 and older) can play for greens fees as low as $13.00. To play ThunderHawk Golf Club, our new Robert Trent Jones, Jr.design 18-hole championship golf course, the senior rate is $35.00.In Lake County, our popular Elderberry Adventures for seniors include day trips and other nature and history oriented programs with direct costs supported through program fees. We do offer residents of the county a discount over non-residents, but no special rates for seniors.
Volunteering also provides a means to directly involve seniors and helps to reduce agency costs for services to all segments of our population. Good volunteer programs don't use people, they provide opportunities for socialization and self-development and build a strong support base of support for agency initiatives. Proper management of such programs takes considerable staff time and other expenses but it is paid back through enhanced creativity and experiences and through political and financial support.
Another perspective on this issue is that research has shown that senior's income level, in general, is commensurate with the rest of the general population and that no discount or subsidy is really necessary.
"In the Champaign Park District we do not provide for reduced fees for senior citizens. We have no problem with that, and generally find that most senior citizens can afford the regular fees. We do have a scholarship program for anyone that needs assistance, whether they are seniors or youth. We award approximately $10,000-20,000 per year in scholarships". Robert Toalson, General Manager, Champaign Park District, Illinois.
As we continue to prepare for the graying of America, the parks and recreation profession needs to analyze and publicize model strategies for
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The American Academy for Parks and Recreation and the Academy Foundation has received excellent public coverage regarding the Chuck Pezoldt Memorial in Florida. The memorial has been finalized and is nearing completion. The Dade County Park and Recreation people, the Butch Bucholtz International
Tennis Committee and the Academy Foundation representative, Ray Kisiah, joined forces to plant a living memorial tree near the entrance to the stadium where the International Tennis Tournament is held. The Foundation furnished the plaque and the other participants furnished the area and the tree. The Memorial Plaque will be on display for thousands each year who attend the tournament. The public city users will always have the opportunity to view the Chuck Pezoldt Memorial. Dr. Pezoldt's family assisted Ray Kisiah, the Academy representative in coordinating the Memorial.
The Foundation Trustees are very
proud of our first venture into the memorial work. It is a great way to leave a noticeable public image. We thank Dr. Doug Sessoms, our past president for his assistance in helping us to get this program underway--Thanks Doug! The Trustees hope there will be many such memorials in the future. The Academy members are indeed worthy of public recognition. We have the mechanism in the Foundation for your gifts toward that effort. They will indeed strengthen our program.The Trustees will be sending out a new brochure regarding our projects. The brochure will include a letter that will define our immediate goal, for increasing our base fund. We are hoping for good results from the Academy members. Our thanks to Vern Hartenburg for his expertise in formulating the message.
We are reaching a point where our Foundation can be listed in the Council of Foundations in New York. This will open a broad spectrum of information for other foundations that will most likely provide grants. The Academy goals and purposes would
welcome action grants to assist us in our endeavors. I'm sure all of you know we need to increase our Base Invested Fund to show stability for other gifts.Our growth has been excellent in proportion to our membership. We have attained our original level of $25,000 and now have our sights on a $50,000 level of investment. We the Trustees appreciate the Academy Board for their continuance of assistance through the year 2000.
The Trustees voted to pay our expenses, instead of the Board. Presently our expenses are very small. They also hope we can provide a modest sum for the Academy at the Nashville meeting. The money will be used for projects that may be adopted by the Board that result from the core evaluations now in progress.
If you wish to discuss any type of gift for any purpose aligned with the Academy, please contact John Potts, any of the trustees, or call Ford Hughes. Remember your gifts are fully deductible. Why not start now planning your legacy with your Academy Foundation.
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Plans are underway for the 1999 Young Professional Externship Program. Information and applications for 1999 were sent out to all Academy members during the week of April 5. Members are asked to distribute these materials to eligible employees in your respective agency or organization. This program is in its fifth year. We hope to select two outstanding young professionals who can benefit from this program at the Nashville, NRPA Congress. Due to the cancellation of the 1998 Congress in Miami, the Academy Board approved inviting the 1998 Young Professional honorees as well as the two chosen candidates for 1999. The 1998 winners were: Joseph R. Potts, Superintendent of Operations for the Urbana, Illinois Park District and Wendy Weirich, Naturalist Manager for Cleveland, Ohio Metro Parks. Congratulations to Joe and Wendy!
Candidates who are interested in completing the application information will need to submit the entire packet to Dale Larsen, Externship Committee Chair on or before June 11, 1999. The Externship Committee will
evaluate the applications and make a decision by July 9, 1999.Selected externs will be provided with: a scholarship of up to $500.00 to help cover conference expense and travel, if the participant's home department cannot cover costs or can only cover a portion of the costs; a ticket to the Academy's annual dinner; and, waiver of the NRPA Congress registration fee. Applicants must be 35 or younger. The rest of the criteria is printed in the official application information going out to Academy members the week of April 5.
The main objective for the 1999 Young Externship campaign is to
create as wide of a distribution to potential applicants as possible. Please make every effort possible to circulate this information into the hands of worthy candidates. Don't forget to make plans to attend the Nashville Academy Dinner in order to meet our 1998 selected Young Professional - Joe and Wendy - as well as the 1999 winners!For more information, contact:
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So what lies ahead for the Academy as we approach the 21st century? Should we stay the course? Are there new mountains to climb? While the members of the Millennium Y2K Task Force don't as of yet have specific recommendations, they have been busy gathering critical information related to that future. Information gathered to date include membership insight into core values and purposes, identification of trends, and an overview of the Academy's finances and programs and services.
Core Values and Purpose
The initial steps in the process called for surveying the membership to identify core values and purposes both personal and professional as well as those related to the Academy and Academy membership. Doug Sessoms and Bob Toalson compiled the results of the feedback secured from the membership.
Things we professionally believe include being an advocate for the field; believing in the worth of each individual, being ethical and honest; remaining committed to effective and efficient delivery of services; and believing in the importance of professional development. Beliefs related to the importance of the Academy are the leadership role we assume in promoting values and high standards; advancement of the profession based upon research and good practice; professional integrity; commitment to service, advocacy, and recognition of excellence; and preservation of the history of the profession.
Members responded that they view the overriding purpose or goals of the Academy to include provision of leadership and promotion of excellence; sharing of expertise and experience; promotion of the field; the Academy is important to the professional due to its professional approach to networking, expertise and leadership; the way in which it recognizes excellence and professional accomplishments; encouragement of innovation and research; education and mentoring opportunities; and its separate but supportive relationship with NRPA.
From a more personal point of view, members revealed that the Academy was important to them because of those opportunities for networking, professional development, examples of excellence, and the opportunities for friendship. Those elements that make the Academy unique as an organization consist of the selection criteria; experience of membership; size of the organization; activities of the organization; and the prestige and image of the Academy.
Trends
Task force members Peter Witt and Walter Johnson were responsible for gathering trend information for this process. Trend areas included in this portion of the process related to general environmental trends as well as those forces shaping the professional and associations as well. External factors cited included changing demographics most especially ethnicity and the "haves and have nots" as well as use and dependence upon technology and changes in the workplace. Professional issues identified were growth of non-park and recreation agencies, decrease in mid-management positions; growing reliance on non-tax dollars; shift from management to leadership; and important issues such as protection of the environment and youth development. Some of the trends cited as influencing the future of membership associations were the impact of changing demographics and lifestyle
preferences on the age of members and willingness to join and participate in such endeavors. The trend towards greater specialization of such membership and the desire on the part of people to seek "value-added" experiences were mentioned as well.Finances and Programs
The information gathering phase of this process needed to include two additional important aspects-what we currently do and how we support that activity. Vern Hartenburg and John Potts provided the Task Force members with an overview of our financial situation. The financial situation of the Academy is stable but as you can imagine does not allow for funding to undertake new initiatives. President Jane Adams, John Potts, and Bob Toalson pulled together a list of programs and services provided by the Academy and presented them in a way that reflect the goals of the organization.
Where to we go from here?
Currently, Fran Mainella, Kathy Merner and Ellen O'Sullivan are creating a list of opportunities and challenges for the Academy on the basis of the information gathered to date. All of these elements of information will be reviewed by members of the Task Force with an eye towards creating a proposed list of priorities, future directions, or initiatives for the Academy.
The Task Force appreciates the way in which members responded to the survey and the call for trend identification. Stay tune as we will be back to you for your insight and input into future directions and initiatives.
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Perhaps it is easier to explain what Accreditation is not. We all have staff that is certified in one way or another-certified leisure professionals, certified arborists, certified landscape professionals, etc. Certifications however, are based on individual achievement and are maintained by the individual. Certification is NOT accreditation.
Achievements come in all shapes and sizes: state and local awards, the national Gold Medal Award, grants, etc. All need to be justified in some way, but NONE are accreditation.
Accreditation IS public recognition conferred by an authorized national Commission, that a parks and recreation agency has met minimum standards determined to be important to quality operations. Accreditation IS concerned with a program, operation or system. Accreditation IS a voluntary program that requires agencies to self-assess against proven national standards. Accreditation IS the only program that speaks to such a high level of agency competency.
The self-assessment is the "heart" of the accreditation process. The process of self-assessment, the provision of evidence, which complies with the 153 standards in the program, has great value to the Agency. Agency benefits include updating outdated policies and procedures; implementing procedures where deficiencies are identified through the process; building a sense of cooperation and collaboration among the team members working on the self-assessment; and generally examining all aspects of the agency's operation.
There is a benefit to the community as well. Citizens understand and can take pride that their parks and recreation department has been nationally recognized. Your Council, Commissioners, and Board members understand the process, can contribute, and take some political credit for the achievement.
Currently, twenty-two organiza
tions of varying size have been accredited. From Monmouth County, New Jersey to the City of Scottsdale, Arizona, the program is beginning to catch on.Accreditation is comprehensive and national in scope. It is the only program of its kind to yield such comprehensive benefit. It is time for cities, town, and counties to recognize this, and to challenge themselves to achieve this significant accomplishment.
For more information on this process, attend the NRPA Congress in Nashville. More immediate, written information is available at: www.nrpa.org/infoctr/accred.htm. Or, if you prefer call Michelle Herrera, at the NRPA Office at (703) 858-2152.
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