CPRA Byline Winter 2017

COLORADO WINTER 2017

PARKS & RECREATION ASSOCIATION

A Tribute to Stewart Grant Case

The “Trophy Generation” and Public Youth Sports Provision;

Finding a Balance?

Byline

Survive and Advance in Local Government

Ability and Public Health Training

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COLORADO Byline PARKS & RECREATION ASSOCIATION

2017-18 BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Jayna Lang City of Lakewood 303-987-5419 jaylan@lakewood.org

CARA Amber Garrett Highlands Ranch Metro District 720-240-5934 agarrett@highlandsranch.org

PRESIDENT-ELECT Becky Richmond City of Golden Parks and Recreation 303-384-8122 brichmond@cityofgolden.net

DIRECTORS Kit Newland City of Lakewood 303-987-7822 kitnew@lakewood.org

VICE PRESIDENT Karen O’Donnell Commerce City Parks, Recreation & Golf 303-289-3751 kodonnell@c3gov.com AT-LARGE Skyler Beck City of Boulder Parks & Recreation 303-413-7219 becks@bouldercolorado.gov SECRETARY/TREASURER Betsy Sweet Denver Parks & Rec 970-333-9013 betsy.sweet@denvergov.org AAPS Shelly Pinkernell City of Wheat Ridge Parks & Recreation 303-205-7513 spinkernell@ci.wheatridge.co.us AQUATICS Ethan Z. Venn Commerce City Parks, Recreation & Golf 303-289-8109 zvenn@c3gov.com

FACILITY MANAGERS Justin Perdue City of Loveland 970-962-2503 justin.perdue@cityofloveland.org FITNESS Tehra Porterfield City of Northglenn 303-450-8947 tporterfield@northglenn.org PARKS Micheal McDonnell City of Arvada 720-898-7419 mmcdonnell@arvada.org PLAaY Kailey Bucher Ken-Caryl Ranch Metro District kaileyb@kcranch.org TRSC Melissa Root Denver Parks & Recreation 303-432-5359 melissa.root@denvergov.org WESTERN SLOPE & SMALL COMMUNITIES Matt Koch Town of Avon 970-748-4057 mkoch@avon.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS President’s Letter..........................................................................................4 Sponsor Spotlight.........................................................................................5 Member Shout-Outs....................................................................................6 CPRA 2017 Membership Update................................................................7 2017 CPRA Scholarship Opportunities........................................................8 Child Care Licensing Regulations and PLaaY................................................9 Ability and Public Health Training...........................................................10-11 Survive & Advance in Local Government....................................................12 Developing a Strategi Marketing Plan.........................................................14 Rural County Gains Ballot Support through Social Media........................15 The “Trophy” Generation.........................................................................16-17 Helping Your Members Stick to New Year’s Resolutions...........................18 2016 CPRA Awards....................................................................................20-22 Thank You 2016 CPRA Conference Sponsors..............................................23 A Tribute to Stewart Grant Case...................................................................24 2016 CPRA Annual Report.............................................................. 25-27

ADVERTISER INDEX Aquatic Chemical Solutions.............................................................. IFC, 13 Children’s Playstructures & Recreation......................................................5 CPRA Career Center................................................................... Back Cover Delta Timber............................................................................................... 17 Gyms for Dogs..............................................................................................4 Pilot Rock / R.J. Thomas Mfg..................................................................... 11 PlaySoft..........................................................................................................7 SofSURFACES.............................................................................................. 19

Vortex..................................................................................................13 ADVERTISING IN BYLINE Thank you to our advertisers for supporting COLORADO BYLINE . We ask CPRA members to please support our advertisers. Interested in advertising?

Contact Todd Pernsteiner at 952-841-1111 or info@pernsteiner.com.

2017 SAVE THE DATES! Certified Pool Operator Course, February 15-17; Thornton MSU Denver Student Conference Job & Internship Fair February 21; MSU Denver – Tivoli Student Union Parks Spring Workshop & Tradeshow, April 6; Greeley Fitness in the Rockies EXPO, April 21; Wheat Ridge Partners in the Outdoors Conference, May 10-12; Breckenridge Customer Service Training for Frontline Staff & Management May 24; Denver

CPRA STAFF Allison Kincaid, Executive Director allisonk@cpra-web.org P.O. Box 1037 • Wheat Ridge, CO 80034 (p) 303-231-0943 (f) 303-237-9750 www.cpra-web.org, cpra@cpra-web.org CPRA VISION - The Colorado Parks and Recreation Association is a dynamic, proactive organization that creates healthy residents and livable communities by promoting excellence in parks and recreation.

Ashley Perillo, Professional Development Program Manager ashleyp@cpra-web.org Natalie Flowers, Professional Development Coordinator natalief@cpra-web.org Amanda Drinkard, Communications & Office Assistant amandad@cpra-web.org

Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 3

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

By Jayna Lang, CPRA Board President, CPRA Board, and CPRA Staff

As we ring in the New Year, it’s important to celebrate another outstanding year for CPRA! The continued success is a direct result of the many dedicated volunteers and exceptional staff that contributed this past year.

Together, we identified and achieved action items outlined in the Board approved Operational Plan that support the following three goals: Engaging todays’ member, ensuring relevant service delivery and working towards financial sustainability. There were several accomplishments that deserve recognition. First, the Board and staff worked with Section representatives to change the budget contribution policy required of each Section.

This shift allows Sections leaders the ability to focus more attention towards creating relevant professional development and networking opportunities among their peers rather than dedicating resources to funding the Association’s operating budget. Next, a partnership was established between CU Denver and CPRA offering a leadership program at a discounted rate to members. This program provides multiple options for CPRA members to develop their knowledge specific to organizational leadership and public administration. Also, the new and improved Career Center was launched improving communication of job opportunities among members and non-members. On average, we are seeing roughly 7,000 clicks

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each month! And, approximately 100 members now identify with the newly established Emerging Leaders Network (ELN).

As the ELN continues to gain traction, the synergy between the ELN and the Director’s Section has generated a collaborative purpose focused on the development of industry professionals.

As a result, several new educational and social engagement opportunities were offered this past year.

In addition to the exciting member benefits rolled out in 2016, the Association experienced another remarkable fall conference that took place in Grand Junction. In fact, it was sold out a couple weeks prior with several professionals asking to be put on a wait list. Thank you to the town of Grand Junction and the staff for hosting and welcoming nearly 400 professionals. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated. This year was the first year that the Executive Board offered an opportunity for past Executive leadership to gather and share successes and challenges. The Board looks forward to the opportunity to continue connecting this group since they are an extremely valuable resource. And, we need to be sure and thank the group that continues to make conference possible….the vendors! Their constant support of this event ensures all of us continue to have an opportunity to learn, grow and network each year. Finally, thank you to CPRA staff who were all hands on deck that week and who also enlisted the help of several student volunteers from Metropolitan State University of Denver. If you can believe it, the staff began planning for 2017 on the car ride back. Now that is dedication!

There are several volunteers that contributed in 2016. Thank you to the Executive Board, Advisory Council and Section Board members. Also, the efforts of the professional development, awards and legislative committees continue to be valued and would not be possible without members offering to take the lead. As you can see, the continued support and commitment exemplified by so many have made this Association what it is today.

The Board and staff are committed to continued progress in the coming year and are excited to contribute to the overall sustainability of the Association. We want everyone to have the same opportunity we have had, access to professional development opportunities and time to network and connect with one another. There are so many different ways to get involved and experience the benefits of being a CPRA member.

If you are new to the Association or are interested in learning more about engagement opportunities, don’t hesitate to reach out. We look forward to serving all of you in 2017!

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Phone: 800-931-1562 4 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

Jayna Lang, CPRA Board, and CPRA Staff

Sponsor Spotlight Thank You to Our Platinum Sponsor of the 2017 Parks Workshop & Tradeshow!

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Leonard L. Johnson established the L.L. Johnson Distributing Company in Denver, Colorado in 1976, shortly after purchasing the Barteldes Seed Company located on Lipan Street. Over the years, Barteldes’ focus had evolved from mainly feed and seed into Toro outdoor power equipment and turf and irrigation supplies, covering the Colorado and southern Wyoming areas.

In 1980, Len moved the company into its current facility at 4700 Holly Street, our primary location that is home to each of our industry-specific divisions: Turf, Grounds & Sports Field Maintenance, Professional and Consumer Landscape Equipment, Golf Irrigation, Residential and Commercial Irrigation, Soil Conditioning, Fertilizers and our Parts and Equipment Repair Departments.

After growing within the Colorado market, Len expanded the business by purchasing Midwest Turf and Irrigation of Omaha, Nebraska in 1981. The regions of Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, portions of Missouri and western Iowa were added to our service area.

As the Colorado market has expanded over the years, we have grown to meet the demands of our customers by adding three satellite irrigation service centers in Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. In 2005, Len’s son James bought the family business and under his stewardship, L.L. Johnson continues to maintain the excellent business model set by his father, investing in people and processes that deliver. Jim purchased the neighboring property at 4701 Ivy Street to construct a new and additional warehouse facility which services our Grounds Power Equipment, Golf and Irrigation customers.

As a complete green industry distributor, our product lines have also expanded into additional allied and complementary products, catering to every aspect of turf care and maintenance. The professionalism and dedication of our sales personnel, customer service representatives and technicians give added value to the brands and services we provide. Our long-standing customer and vendor relationships can be attributed to these individuals and the solid business practices we believe.

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Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 5

Member Shout-Outs

Do you know of someone who goes above and beyond?

Is someone retiring? Show your appreciation by giving them a shout-out! Email your information to Amanda Drinkard at amandad@cpra-web.org.

Jeff Jackel Retiring After 42 years in the Parks & Recreation Profession Congratulations to Jeff Jackel! After 16 years as Recreation Director for the Town of Carbondale, 2 years as Director with the Canon City Metro Recreation & Park District, 6 years as Director for the Lake County Parks & Recreation Dept., and 18 years working in Arizona for the cities of Tempe, Chandler and Show Low, Jeff is retiring February 3. Jeff has said“It’s time to practice what I’ve been preaching, which is that you’re never too old to play”.

6 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

MSU Denver Student Volunteers Help at Annual Conference Thank you to our Annual Conference Volunteers from MSU Denver for all your help!

Need student volunteers? Contact MSU Denver’s Recreation Professions Department to get in touch with available students.

Recreation Management Kate Bishop, cbisho21@msudenver.edu Therapeutic Recreation Karen Wenzel, wenzelk@msudenver.edu

Thank You Grand Junction Parks and Recreation Department Thank you for being our ‘local host’ for the 2016 CPRA Annual Conference. Many thanks to the staff for going above and beyond. They all stepped in and volunteered to help which made our conference a huge success.

CPRA 2017 Membership Update!

CPRA is looking forward to adding some great new member benefits in 2017, thanks to a 10% Member Dues increase approved by the CPRA Board on December 2nd for all member types (students excluded). In addition to the new and highly popular Career Center, CPRA will be upgrading its website making it more user-friendly and easier for all of our members to connect and communicate with their peers, ask questions of each other and network in a way that we haven’t offered before.

Keep an eye out for the new Social Link feature on our website in early 2017!

For the members of CPRA Sections, CPRA is implementing some changes that will enhance your experience in 2017. Each CPRA Section now automatically receive one $500 scholarship to distribute to a Section member of their choice within their Section. This scholarship can be used for any Professional Development or Certification program that is Parks & Recreation related. Thanks to the member fee increase, these scholarships will now be available every year!

Also, with the support of CPRA staff in managing Section budgets, CPRA Sections have been given more flexibility to plan engaging meetings, look for opportunities to increase networking experiences and generally make the Section experience even better than it already is! In fact, an added benefit to the Directors Section is that now all of our Member

Organizations, through their regular membership dues, will be paying for all of their employees to be covered in the Directors Section. No longer do Directors or managers have to pay an added fee. So, if you haven’t joined that CPRA Section that interests you yet, 2017 might just be the time to do it!

And, valued CPRA Members, this is just the beginning. Your CPRA team and Board are committed to continuing to enhance your CPRA experience every year. As our organization becomes more financially sustainable every year, we will be able to invest in our members regularly and continue to give you the return on your investment where CPRA is concerned. So, we hope that 2018 looks even better with new bells and whistles for you all to enjoy and put to work in enhancing your own professional journey in the Parks & Recreation field.

Thoughts about how CPRA can make your membership experience work better for you? Feel free to e-mail us at cpra@ cpra-web.org, we love to hear your feedback and ideas and always take them to heart. You never know if your idea might be the next brilliant path that CPRA takes!

Thank you all for your support of CPRA, without you we wouldn’t have made it as far as we have this year. You are all greatly appreciated for the work that you do and your support of our profession.

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Reminder! Your CPRA membership expires February 28, 2017.

Please contact us for assistance with renewals at: cpra@cpra-web.org or 303-231-0943.

2017 CPRA Membership Fees Ally Member................................................................ $56 Student......................................................................... $30

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Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 7

2017 CPRA Scholarship Opportunities Applications can be found on the CPRA website under “Resources”.

GALLUP ~ DARROW ~CHESTER The Gallup*Darrow*Chester Scholarship was established to honor the memory of Virginia Seth Gallup, (1899-1995) grandmother of the originator of this fund, Catherine Virginia Darrow and her husband, William Spencer Chester, who currently reside in Evergreen, Colorado.

This Fund is authorized to recognize this extraordinary woman who earned her college degree in the 1920’s at a time when it was rare for women to attend college. Virginia Seth Gallup believed in the power of a college education to the extent that she provided the funds for all of her seven grandchildren to attend college. After graduating from Glocester College with a degree in Public Administration, Virginia Seth Gallup raised a family and served as superintendent of the Talbot County Schools in the State of Maryland. To be eligible for a Gallup*Darrow*Chester Scholarship an applicant musta member in good standing of CPRA at the time of application and be currently employed in a professional parks and recreation position. Please note thatfor the Gallup*Darrow*Chester scholarship funding will be given to members who are currently serving / have served CPRA or CPRA Foundation via committees, section involvement or board appointment.

SECTION SPONSORED One Scholarship will be issued per Section. Applicants for the section awarded scholarship MUST be an active member within that section. Please note that these scholarships are for Professional Developmenttuition for theCPRA Annual Conference.

Scholarships will be awarded in 2016 for funding up to $500.

Deadline: April 30, 2017

MSU DENVER NEW CERTIFICATION The MSU Denver New Certification Scholarship is for Metropolitan State University of Denver senior students on internship or alumni from the Recreation Professions (formerly Leisure Studies) Program.The goal of this scholarship is to help MSU alumni gain new certifications and in turn advance in their careers.

Scholarships will be awarded annually through the dedicated MSU Denver New Certification Scholarship Fund to a Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) Ally, Professional or Student member. funds must be put towards new certification within the recreation profession.

The GDC Scholarship(s) will be awarded in 2016 with total allocation not to exceed $1,000. In some cases, more than one scholarship of lower dollar amounts may be awarded.

The Scholarship(s) will be awarded with total allocation not to exceed $500 per application cycle. In some cases, more than one scholarship of lower dollar amounts may be awarded.

Deadline: April 30, 2017

Deadline: April 30, 2017

8 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

KARON BADALAMENTI CHANGE AGENT SCHOLARSHIP In honor of the passing of Karon Badalameni, CPRE, (1961 - 2014), a professional development scholarship of up to $500 will be awarded annually through the dedicated Badalamenti Scholarship Fund (sponsored by Greenplay, GP RED, and private donations) for a parks and recreation and/or allied professional or student to attend a professional development opportunity offered by Colorado Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA).

Deadline: April 30th, 2017

Child Care Licensing Regulations and PLAaY

By Sarah Gagne, Chilson Recreation Center, City of Loveland The newest CPRA Section, PLAaY (Preschool, Licensing, Activities, and Youth), will host 2 events in 2017 as training events for staff working in licensed youth programs. With changes in child care licensing regulations taking effect in February 2016, many Recreation Departments have needed to make modifications to training opportunities for staff in those programs.

In order to comply with state regulations, licensed programs such as preschool and summer day camps must provide 15 annual, pre-service training and on-going professional development hours for all staff. In previous years, programs could offer in-house trainings that fit their individual program needs with minimal resources, while the most recent changes to licensing regulations require that these trainings are to include specific training topics and must be done by state-approved trainers. Both the Preschool and School-Age Committees in PLAaY have a plan to address these updated regulations for their programs.

In February 2017, the PLAaY Preschool Committee will put on a Parade of Preschools, a traveling tour of licensed preschools housed in recreation facilities throughout the Front Range and Denver Metro areas. The Parade will send preschool and child care program staff

to visit at least 4 centers, with each host providing information on registration, curriculum, and family engagement strategies used in their program.

Participants will also have an opportunity to observe and take note of each center’s classroom environment, bringing fresh ideas back to their own classrooms.

Parade-goers will convene for lunch, vendor presentations, and prizes, and leave with a certificate for 5 hours of approved, on-going professional development hours.

The School-Age Committee will host the PLAaY Conference in May 2017, which

features a full day of pre-service trainings for summer day camp staff complete with keynote speakers and breakout sessions. In 2016, training topics ranged from inter-generational leadership to implementing lockdown procedures to planning creative rainy day activity ideas. Participants took part in a largegroup Zumba demonstration and the event culminated with Minute-to-WinIt challenges between the recreation departments in attendance. Summer day camp staff leave the conference with 8 of their 15 pre-service training hours completed, along with strong team camaraderie to start the camp season.

Through collaborative efforts, the PLAaY Section is able to offer these training opportunities at a low cost to licensed recreation programs across Colorado, which is crucial for programs who are also striving to meet cost recovery requirements in their departments.

The PLAaY Section also hosts a Night of the Stars event in the fall, a talent competition for youth held at local, regional, and state levels, and a Youth Summit for teens, an overnight leadership experience, in November.

Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 9

Ability and Public Health Training

By Jo Burns, TRSC Advocacy and Outreach Chair Are you looking to connect on the next level with patrons and staff with disabilities? Are you looking to collaborate with public health organizations to benefit the overall health of your citizens with disabilities? If so, the Buck Recreation Center in Littleton on December 6th was the place to be.

The Therapeutic Recreation Society of Colorado (TRSC) hosted a dual training to help provide solutions to both those needs: Ability Awareness Training: Understanding Individuals with Disabilities and Therapeutic Recreation and Public Health: Where Do We Fit Together on the Continuum of Health?

The Ability Awareness Training was presented by the City of Colorado Springs’ Therapeutic Recreation Program (TRP) staff and interns. They provided the 40+ attendees practical and thoughtful techniques to connect, communicate and interact with individuals with

disabilities. The TRP team focused on utilizing Words with Dignity and Disability Etiquette (no this is not meant to be “PC”, it is empowering.) A discussion of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concerning techniques to include individuals with disabilities in your programs and as members of your staff, as well as legal hiring practices was another highlight. No ability awareness training would be complete without an opportunity to “experience” a disability.

The TRP team put together a myriad of “experience” stations including talking with marshmallows in your mouth to simulate communication barriers. So, if it’s time to brush up on issues concerning people with disabilities in your agency, reach out to the TRP or any member of the TRSC. The Therapeutic Recreation (TR) and Public Health (PH) session was facilitated

by Jo Burns, co-founder of the Colorado

Public Health/Parks and Recreation Collaborative. It was an opportunity for TR professionals to think at the “thirty-thousand foot” level on ways to advance Therapeutic Recreation through examining similarities and differences between the two professions, possibilities for collaboration and ways to broaden the client service base. After examining national health and wellness movements such at NPRA’s Park Rx, attendees broke into small groups to “brain storm” ways TR services could be delivered more globally and creatively in Colorado through collaboration with PH, healthcare, schools and other similar disciplines and organizations.

The TRSC is looking to make 2017 a banner year for education and serve as a resource for all CPRA sections in regards to interactions and interventions for people with disabilities.

Did You Know?

In 2016, February was declared Therapeutic Recreation Month by the Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper.

10 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

What You Need to Know About the Americans with Disabilities Act Website Accessibility Requirements

By Emily J. Powell, Attorney at Ireland Stapleton PC The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (“ADAAA”) was signed into law

by President George W. Bush on September 25, 2008. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice issued its Final Rule on implementation of the ADAAA, which affirms the broad definition of disability and requires governmental entities to take steps to ensure maximum service accessibility to those with disabilities, including web-based service accessibility. The Final Rule became effective on October 11, 2016.

An increasing number of government services are provided on websites. Although web-based service delivery has advantages like decreasing personnel costs and 24/7 availability, it also creates a new set of challenges for serving citizens who are disabled. Pursuant to the ADAAA, individuals with disabilities must have equal, or as close to it as practical, access to all of the services, programs and benefits found on the governmental entity’s website. “Services” includes things like registering for programs, applying for permits, signing up for notifications, submitting job applications, and accessing general information like facility location.

Website accessibility can be achieved by using a variety of tools.

For instance, many vision impaired individuals use screen readers that read the webpage content aloud. These devices “read” the HTML that sits behind the webpage. These devices do not work properly when there are pictures, videos, flash or other “unreadable” objects on the screen unless descriptors are added that tell the screen reader how to describe the picture or video.

Similarly, audio content can be inaccessible to hearing impaired users. Providing a link to a closed captioned version of the video or a text version of the audio makes this content available without substantial cost. Such solutions are typically easy to incorporate into a website provided the web designer is instructed to do so. Therefore, it is important to make your department’s web designer aware of the access goals early in the design or redesign process.

Some helpful guides for overcoming typical website access issues can be found at: Website Accessibility Under Title II of the ADA, https://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/chap5toolkit.htm, or Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with Disabilities, https://www.ada.gov/websites2_prnt.pdf.

Emily J. Powell is an attorney at Ireland Stapleton PC. She advises park and recreation districts on legal matters that impact the dayto-day operations of their organizations. You can reach Emily at 303-628-3629 or epowell@irelandstapleton.com.

This article is intended as general information. If legal advice is needed, you should consult an attorney.

Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 11

Survive & Advance in Local Government

A Top 10 List

By Eric Lucas, Director of Parks, Recreation & Culture for the Town of Windsor, Colorado

Often times throughout our career people impart words of wisdom.

Many times we don’t remember it all but sometimes words resonate with you and they become part of who you are. For me, this occurred in graduate school. I met the now retired Director of Greenville, NC, H. Boyd Lee who provided me with his top 10 list for surviving in local government. It hangs by my monitor in my office and has guided me as I have progressed in my career. It is my hope that by passing these along that they guide you in your career!

11. Be Willing to Relocate Way too many people never reach their full potential because they are afraid to relocate. It’s my biggest pet peeve! **I added this one**

10. Be Loyal to Your Boss

8. Have Loyalty of Staff

4. Treat Everyone the Same

It’s earned not given. Without it you will fail. Read the book “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek.

Regardless of money, fame, position or title your mission in this field is to provide recreation to ALL! Favoritism will get you nowhere!

7. Always Be Honest In work and in life, honesty goes a long way. Remember, no one is perfect but everyone can be honest. Once you lose it, it’s very difficult to get it back.

6. No Votes Before Your Presentation We work in a political arena! Lay the groundwork for a successful presentation before actually presenting whether it’s with your boss or elected officials.

5. If You Don’t Know the Answer, Get Back to Them “I don’t know” is not an acceptable answer! Learn great customer service and how to respond when you don’t know.

It is ok to disagree, but as long as you have been provided direction and it’s not illegal, immoral or unethical follow it. Your boss has your back, you should have theirs.

9. Don’t Embarrass Politicians in Public This one seems simple but it boils down to respect! They were elected and represent a segment of your community.

Remember they are human. Work behind closed doors to bridge gaps, correct inaccuracies and educate!

12 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

3. Know Where the Landmines Are Landmines are things that can derail a project or your career path. Figure them out and be adept at identifying them when they arise…because they will.

2. The Harder You Work, the Luckier You Are Branch Rickey once said that “luck is the residue of design.” It is true! Work hard and good things will happen. Remember there is always someone out there working harder than you.

1. Outlive the SOB’s Self-explanatory!

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Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 13

Developing a Strategic Marketing Plan

By Dylan Packebush, Project Consultant at GreenPlay, LLC If your agency is looking to develop your marketing efforts, it needs to start by developing an overall strategy and plan for you overall efforts. Like a systems plan, a marketing plan should not and cannot happen through a patchwork approach.

Step 3 – Define target markets and segments.

This might seem like a big undertaking, but there are basic questions that you need to answer and steps to take that will make this process simple, and ultimately effective. To begin to develop this strategy it is important the following steps occur (The figure on the right summarizes these steps):

• Underserved

Step 1 – Develop a consistent brand.

Your agency already has a brand, or perception, but there is a need to define how it wants to be perceived and develop strategies that promotes that perception.

Today, marketing has evolved from a product-focused strategy to an idea or story-focused strategy. People are connecting with brands that tell the best story and with which they identify. Your agency is in a unique position by being a public agency, and as such already authentically represents its market.

Step 2 – Develop goals for the marketing effort as a whole.

These goals should be unique your agency. One of the biggest mistakes made in marketing is not defining goals that promote the brand, story, and authenticity of an agency. Defining goals that are not unique to your agency will make it difficult to communicate value to your community.

Defining the target markets or segments for your agency goes deeper than ‘everyone.’ Target segments could be defined in many ways. For example: portions of the community segments • User segments

Step 5 – Define the content guidelines for each channel.

Content guidelines should also be developed, so that messages consistently reinforce the brand, story, and goals of the marketing efforts.

• Demographic

Focusing your efforts on market segments streamlines communication, and allows your agency to communicate directly to a select group rather than having its messages muddled when trying to communicate with the community as a whole.

Step 4 – Define the goals for each channel of communication.

Due to the nature of parks and recreation services, marketing channels take on wide-variety of forms in the industry, including: • Recreational

programming festivals, and concerts • Level of service • Pricing • Social media, including the website • Print media • Online media/video • Museum services • Mobile applications • Online searches • Text • Email • Signage/way-finding • Trail connectivity • Events,

Each channel, and subsequent goal, should be developed with specific target markets in mind. For example, millennial populations should be engaged through fitness opportunities promoted through mobile applications.

Step 6 – Define evaluation methods for marketing efforts.

Lastly, evaluation methods should be based on the brand, segments, goals, and content that is unique to your agency.

To establish and reinforce your agency as an authentic brand it needs to focus on evaluating its own efforts. If efforts are evaluated based on other benchmarks, your agency may inaccurately conclude the success or failure of its effort.

Each of the items above can be read as steps of where to start, meaning that if the brand of your agency is not defined, it cannot necessarily evaluate its current efforts. Or if your agency doesn’t have a target market then it cannot evaluate its channels. Without these steps in place, marketing efforts cannot effectively be developed or evolved.

As parks and recreation services look for ways to build relationships with their communities, marketing becomes an essential business tool in today’s industry.

Further, even if your agency doesn’t current budget for marketing or have a marketing staff, you are constantly communicating with potential users.

Marketing and communications are some of the few business functions that always exist and never stop. It is in your agency’s best interest to proactively develop these strategies.

Dylan Packebush is a Project Consultant at GreenPlay, LLC, the leading edge in parks, recreation, and open space consulting. He is a proud Alaskan living in Denver, Colorado. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Recreation from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Master’s Degree of Business Administration with a concentration in Sports Business from the University of Oregon. He believes in the passionate pursuits of constant re-creation of body, mind, and spirit. He is a lover of stories, often blending one into the next to anyone that will listen. His own pursuits include: ice cream, arts and music, CrossFit, and finding the perfect Americano. He can be contacted at dylanp@greenplayllc.com or 303.483.1850.

14 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

Rural County in Ohio Gains Support for Ballot Initiative through Social Media

By Megan Hanson, Olson Strategies While millions of Americans were captivated by the top of the ticket in last November’s election, for many parks and recreation districts around the country their focus was on issues much farther down the ballot.

The Ashland County Park District in rural Ashland County, Ohio was one such district. Following two previous attempts that failed by small margins, they were campaigning for a third time to secure a tax levy supporting their work. Losing this time would mean possibly closing or abandoning several of their parks, so to ensure success they hired our Coloradobased political consulting firm, Olson Strategies and Advertising, to run their campaign.

In addition to the more traditional methods of campaigning – direct mail, phone calls, advertising and blockwalking – we also identified another way Ashland County Parks could increase their support: social media.

As Olson Strategies’ Director of Digital Media, I began working with the Ashland County Park’s Facebook page in July 2016. At that time, it was a nearly stagnant page with just 711 likes and minimal interactions. Through creative content, targeted advertising and interacting with the community, by Election Day the page had become an

engaging page with 3,016 likes — an increase of nearly 325 percent and over 10 percent of the voting population.

Not only did our social media campaign create more interest and activity on social media, but increased actual park usage, space rentals and event attendance. One post featuring a pavilion available for rent in one park had the park manager fielding phone calls for over a week as community members inquired about how they could book it for events – bringing additional, immediate revenue to the district.

Through engaging their community both online and off, the Ashland County Park District made their parks go “viral,” setting the community abuzz about their work for the first time in their 14-year existence.

On November 8th, the initiative supporting the Ashland County Parks District passed by less than 1,000 votes.

And while the Ashland County Parks District celebrated their win, Olson Strategies was excited about how this campaign could serve as a model for other parks and recreation districts around the country.

If you have any questions or want to know how a social media campaign could help you and your organization, please contact us.

Photos Courtesy of Ashland County Parks District

Reach Hundreds of Park & Rec Professionals Advertise in Colorado Byline!

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Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 15

The “Trophy Generation” and Public Youth Sports Provision;

Finding a Balance?

By Andy Rice, CPRP, M.A., Sport Management O.k. everyone, speak up: are you the one providing the dreaded “everyone’s a winner” participation trophies? In 2014, I undertook a study as part of my Master’s Degree work of other regional recreation departments with similar demographics to compare how all of us viewed our role in providing the games so many of us are passionate about. The following is a brief synopsis of the results along with a bit of opinion.

Results Sample (Note; departments may have changed their policies since this was released; ages covered was 5-12) As expected there was high variability in the answers of this qualitative study.

All six responding departments did not keep score in the youngest age groups and equal playing time was mandated across all age groups. About half offered

16 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

tournaments in the 11-12 divisions, one third gave participation awards to all age divisions, one-third only to tournament winners, one department did neither and one did both! Finally half thought local parks and recreation “has a professional obligation to encourage the lessons of more competitive sport” and half didn’t!

In summary, a microcosm of our field; what does your department do and why?

Discussion Given the literature on the pitfalls of emphasizing outcome (Coakley, 2010); why not just eliminate all competitive parameters?

Wouldn’t that demonstrate, we, solely seek to promote a skill-building positive climate? In a sense yes, but, arguably it is a greater disservice to hide the truth about sports and life to kids cognitively capable of understanding team competition (age 9+ apx). The perseverance and handling losing with grace are important life lessons. Do we really expect a child to go from “winning for just showing up” to being cut from the school team the next year? I believe a mastery climate (meaning a child’s enjoyment comes from the satisfaction of mastering the skills, which, has shown to increase sustained participation - Coakley, 2010) - within a competitive context is feasible.

Like some researchers (Torres & Hager, 2007) I concur it is not competition per se that is unhealthy; it is the perception and reaction of adults to competition which is harmful. The mutual “striving for excellence” is really the positive essence of sport competition; both teams are equally important to the process. The coaches, parents, and administrators form a key triad that can promote a consistent message. If we can stress perseverance, selflessness, and overcoming failure as positive stressful experiences and, though maybe not enjoyable, are ok; then the famous ambiguous life lessons of youth sports are instilled. What truly causes negative experiences for the children; is it losing, or is it parent and coach reactions to losing? Educating stakeholders on the positive nature of competition would be requisite to arguably a paradigm change in public provision. All of us know this is not easy. You probably constantly remind your coaches and spectators of good sportsmanship behavior; make this your department’s culture with a zero-tolerance policy, and the balance can be obtained.

Andy Rice is Community Activities Manager for the City of Alamosa.

He has administered and coached sports for over 20 years from peewee to NCAA level competition in Colorado and California. Thanks to the professionals of Alamosa, Lamar, La Junta, Durango, Cortez, and Las Vegas, NM for providing their input for this study. Contact Andy at arice@ci.alamosa.co.us if you would like a copy of the full report.

References Coakley, J. (2010). The “Logic” of Specialization: Using Children for Adult Purposes. JOPERD: The Journal Of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 81(8), 16-25.

Torres, C., & Hager, P. (2007). De-emphasizing Competition in Organized Youth Sport: Misdirected Reforms and Misled Children. Journal Of The Philosophy Of Sport, 34(2), 194-210.

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Helping Your Members Stick to Their New Year’s Resolutions

By Meghan Godby, City of Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation

In January, nearly every gym or recreational facility sees a spike in memberships. Although healthy changes can be made at any time, the magic of a new year (coupled with the aftermath of too many holiday treats) can give folks the extra push they need. Unfortunately, many resolutions are forgotten after the novelty has worn off. As a parks and recreation professional, how can you help your new (and current!) members stay motivated and commit to lasting change?

1. Stress the importance of “smart” goals.

Many of us vow to “be healthy” or “workout more”. However, these vague aspirations can set us up for failure. Encourage your participants to define their priorities (i.e., what does “healthy” mean, exactly?) and set clear, actionable goals.

Something like, “I will work out three times a week for 60 minutes” allows for flexibility and is a bit more realistic.

Accountability is also a powerful motivator; this is a great time to promote your personal training packages to keep people on track.

18 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

2. Remind them that fitness can happen anywhere.

Even if your facility is full of new, state-of-the-art equipment, remind your participants that there’s more than one way to workout. Create templates of body weight/equipment free workouts they can do at home, or highlight walking/running clubs you offer so they can get a bit of fresh air. Nutrition is also a huge part of meeting health and fitness goals. If you offer nutrition counseling services, promote them! January is a time when patrons’ motivation is at its peak.

3. Prevent boredom.

Even the most dedicated exercisers will get tired of doing the same thing over and over. Make sure you’re promoting all of the great fitness classes and activities you offer, both indoors and outdoors. If members have more options, they’ll be more likely to stick to their goals.

Most New Year’s resolutions are abandoned, but don’t let your customers become a statistic! Take advantage of the “fresh start” mindset and use it to adjust your marketing approach.

By strategically promoting your classes and programs, you have the power not only to increase participation, but also to help others set clear goals, follow through, and take pride in their hard work and accomplishments.

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Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 19

2016 CPRA Awards INDIVIDUAL Awards:

Columbine Awards COMMUNITY CHAMPION

Fellow: Tim Moore, City of Commerce City

Outstanding New Professional: Robert Buck, City of Lakewood

Section Awards:

CARA Professional of the Year: Brian Magnett, City of Northglenn Facility Manager Professional of the Year: Andy Fraser, Town of Parker

Fitness Professional of the Year: Veronica Mueller, City of Broomfield

2016 Recreation Community Champion Award: Jackie Hilaire Jackie has engaged the community for over a decade, focusing efforts on a variety of parks-related issues.

Her activism led to the preservation of paleontological and archeological rich lands of Corral Bluffs Open Space, advancement of horticulture demonstrations and the success of significant park projects. Her leadership greatly impacted the Pikes Peak region and her exemplary volunteerism demonstrates what engaged citizens can accomplish.

AAPS Professional of the Year: Theresa Schulte, City of Longmont

2017 AWARDS

Aquatics Professional of the Year: Betsy Sweet, Denver Parks and Recreation

Do you have a program, service or facility that you would like to see recognized in 2017? Columbine Awards are designed to highlight best practices and creative ideas in the areas of design, innovation and programming. The Awards committee will also be accepting nominations for Outstanding New Professional as well as Fellow. Nominations for 2017 will be accepted April 1 - 30. Awards will be announced at the 2017 CPRA Annual Conference Awards Banquet, Thursday, Oct. 5 in Keystone, CO.

Parks Professional of the Year: Eric Bloomer, City of Greeley

20 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

DESIGN

picnic area, freshly planted trees and shrub beds and other site amenities make this a park the neighborhood can be proud of.

COLUMBINE

New Facility Design: Foothills Activity Center, City of Fort Collins

Through a Public/Private partnership the City of Fort Collins introduced its newest recreation center. What makes this a unique center is that it is located inside the newly redeveloped Foothills Mall. This building features 3 floors of recreation opportunities including a full court gymnasium, 2 fitness/dance studios, community room, a preschool class room, full weight room and a City Council office.

Renovated Facility Design: Parker Recreation Center, Town of Parker The Parker Recreation Center expansion meets the needs of a growing community while providing fun and affordable recreation amenities. This unique expansion has something for everyone including a leisure pool and a warm water therapy pool. Additional amenities including the auxiliary gym, group fitness studio, community spaces, locker rooms and the lobby has given the facility a modern look and provides a welcome space for members of the community.

New Park Design: Las Colonias Park-City of Grand Junction

The location of Las Colonias Park has been established as one of the most important in the city; however it has been neglected for decades.

In 2012, a group of stakeholders joined forces to begin development which included a restroom/shelter, lighting, trail connections, parking and furnishings. Completion of Phase I was a tremendous investment in the riverfront area and the social impact is striking as usage has quadrupled.

Building a Mountain Bike Skills Course on a $0 Budget-Douglas County Parks and Trails The Parks and Trails staff had a vision-a vision to create a Mountain Bike Skills Course that could be built in-house, and constructed with materials that they had within the park at no cost to the division.

From the design to construction, to maintaining the course, the Parks and Trails staff took great pride in creating a bicycle skills course that would match those they had viewed during the design stage.

Awards continue on page 24…

Renovated Park Design: Larson Park, City of Northglenn The Larson Park renovation utilized grant funds and community input to create an amazing neighborhood park. This “Dinosaur Tracks” theme park provides fun for all ages.

New dinosaur-themed playground equipment, poured-in-place surfacing, adult exercise equipment, a covered

Photos Courtesy of Team Sport Photos

Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 21

PROGRAMMING

Loveland Golf’s “Roadmap to Growth”, City of Loveland Loveland Golf utilized “out of the box” thinking to transform the growth strategy for golf in the community.

The approach of creating barrier-free, fun and social learning experience, geared to support how golfers actually learn to golf resulted in the development of a mini-course with SNAG equipment, the introduction of “games on the range” and “golf and grub”, the development of the Productive Practice Center with instructional kiosks and the MELVIN obstacle, and the introduction of a $4, 3-hole rate. Loveland is successfully growing golf in their community!

Esports Gaming League, Carbon Valley Parks and Recreation District ESports gaming helps promote strategic and quick thinking, teamwork, communication, sportsmanship and hand/eye coordination among other skills.

Leagues instill positive online etiquette to all of its players and covers topics of cyber bullying, online safety and a broader education on the do’s and don’ts of electronic communication. The leagues are an exciting outlet for social interaction, fun, competition, and teamwork that is beyond traditional sports programs.

Leagues offer the latest team-based competitive games using high-end technology and provides a space for kids to play games competitively away from the dangers that come with adult gaming communities.

City of Longmont Recreation Services and Throne Nature Experience for Environmental Education and the Sandstone Ranch Learning Center Through the implementation of the SVVSD 2nd Grade Field Trip Program, City of Longmont Recreation Services and Thorne Nature Experience strives to contribute to close the gap we know exists in environmental education programming in St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD).

Thorne’s field trip program gives SVVSD 2nd graders a chance to observe native Colorado flora and fauna, compare adaptations of organisms living in wetland and grassland habitats, and examine human impacts on the landscape in their own community. Through positive, place-based environmental education experiences, students will interact with, and learn to care more about, the ecosystems around them.

Call for Session Proposals for the 2017 CPRA Annual Conference October 4-6, 2017 at the Keystone Resort and Conference Center We always strive to bring you information on the most pertinent topics in the parks and recreation field. So, we ask you, our members, to submit session proposals for this year’s breakout sessions. Maybe you know of a hot-topic issue that you have experience with or maybe you were involved in a project, the lessons of which could benefit others. Your ideas and experiences are worth sharing! Speakers always get a complimentary one-day conference pass for the days they speak. The deadline for submissions is Friday, May 5. Visit the Annual Conference web page for more details or to submit a session proposal.

22 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

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Reach Hundreds of Park & Recreation Professionals Advertise in the Colorado Byline!

Rates start as low as $400 per issue Get into the next issue!

Ad deadline: April 8 Mails: May 2017

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Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 23

A Tribute to Stewart Grant Case (1916-1990) A Tireless Park and Recreation Advocate

By Jean Helburg On October 6, 2016 at the annual National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) conference in St. Louis, Stewart Case was inducted into the Robert W. Crawford Hall of Fame. Case, a Fort Collins native, was recognized primarily for his many years of national involvement in the park and recreation movement and most noteworthy that he, along with other national leaders, was instrumental in convincing five national organizations to join together in 1965 to form the NRPA. It is important to note that also in 1965, Mr. Case was a member of the Fort Collins Recreation Commission. He took a leadership role that year to transition the Commission to become part of the newly-formed Parks and Recreation Department under the City.

With a degree from Colorado State University in Industrial Arts in 1941, his career was delayed while serving in the Army as a sports and recreation director. His primary role was to develop and carry out leisure activities for military recruits to raise morale and provide a diversion from duty. In 1949-1950 he attended Indiana University and earned two Recreation Management degrees.

Stewart was an employee of the Colorado State University Extension Service. As a Recreation and Community Development Specialist, his role from 1946 to 1971was to inspire, support, and educate community leaders, especially in small towns and farming communities throughout Colorado, to understand the value of recreation and parks and to then help them find ways to provide programs and facilities for their residents. This was a tall order for anyone back in those days; however, Stewart had an outgoing personality and strong perseverance to spread the word and succeed no matter how difficult.

He believed strongly in the benefits of professional development and networking with others in the field. He was a member, speaker, committee volunteer, and officer of the American Recreation Society (ARS), serving on the Executive Council in 1952 and as its 25th President in 1964-65, the year ARS and four others merged together to form NRPA. He also then served as the first President of the American Parks and Recreation Society (APRS) branch of NRPA until 1966.

Mr. Case was a founding member of the Colorado Parks and Recreation Society/Association. He served as its seventh President in 1956-57 and received the Fellow Award in 1961.

Stewart was influential in the development of three noteworthy state-wide initiatives: 1) He encouraged State government officials to pass the Metropolitan Parks and Recreation District Act in 1953, enabling property taxpayers to establish recreation districts by majority vote. He worked with nearly every such district initially formed in Colorado including the first one in Estes Park.

2) He encouraged State officials to form a Recreation Advisory Board to discuss ways to preserve and protect Colorado’s natural resources, culminating in the formation of the state Game, Fish, and Parks Department, now called the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife.

3) In 1960, he instituted informal Tourist Hospitality Schools and continued to run them throughout the state until his retirement in 1971. He invited owners and employees of motels, ski areas, dude ranches, and even gas stations.

This was a precursor to the development of the state tourism bureau.

A neighborhood park in Fort Collins is named in honor of Stewart Case in tribute to his numerous influences on the park and recreation profession.

Reach Hundreds of Park & Rec Professionals Advertise in Colorado Byline!

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24 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

To purchase advertising space, contact: Todd Pernsteiner info@pernsteiner.com or (952) 841-1111

2016 CPRA Annual Report

Thank you all for being a part of a great 2016! This year CPRA welcomed 247 new members to our community and was proud to continue supporting the other 945

existing members through quality Professional Development Programs, professional networking events and by providing opportunities for members to engage as volunteer

leaders within Colorado’s Parks & Recreation community. We hope you’ll join us in

celebrating our successes!

CPRA Funding Model Overview

CPRA Membership

CPRA Section Membership Spotlight

Active Adult Programming & Services (AAPS)

129

Aquatics

217

CO Association of Recreational Athletics (CARA)

276

Directors & Emerging Leaders Network (ELN)

191

Facility Managers

218

Fitness

182

Parks Preschool, Licensing Activities and Youth (PLAaY)

238

Small Communities

190

Therapeutic Recreation Society of CO (TRSC)

109

Western Slope

154

91

Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 25

CPRA Industry Partner Spotlight

Did you know that CPRA’s Industry Partners also play an important role in our success? Through their support as exhibitors and sponsors, these companies help CPRA expand our ability to do more for our members.

CPRA Professional Development

CPRA Partnerships

CPRA strives to offer both relevant and quality professional development programming through our Office as well as by supporting the work of our Sections. This year CPRA: • •

•

CPRA continues to look for mission-supporting partnerships that create additional opportunities for our members. In 2016, we reached more than 4,400 people by partnering with the following:

Held 59 Interest Section Meetings Offered 28 Professional Development Opportunities to more than 1,900 Parks & Recreation Professionals Reached more than 10,000 youth through CARA Sports Programming

• • • • •

Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Partners in the Outdoors Conference Metropolitan State University National Get Outdoors Day Collaborative Public Health in Parks & Recreation Institute UC Denver, School of Public Affairs, Buechner Institute for Governance

CPRA Scholarship Recipients CPRA Section Scholarships

Karon Badalamenti Scholarship Kathy Wallace – City of Englewood

Matt David – Town of Erie Steve Hensley – City of Northglenn

Metropolitan State University Denver Recreation Professional Tehra Porterfield – City of Northglenn Alumni Scholarship

Whitney Whilmes – City of Loveland

Vincent Archuletta – Metro State University Gallup*Darrow*Chester Scholarship Karen Wenzel – Metro State University

Congratulations to this year’s Scholarship recipients!

26 Colorado Parks and Recreation • www.cpra-web.org

CPRA Career Center – By the Numbers

A Special Thanks to our Leadership We would like to thank our 2015-16 CPRA Board and Advisory Council members for providing outstanding leadership to the Association. Thank you for your service and support!

CPRA Board: Patrick Hammer, President (Town of Superior) ● Jayna Lang, President Elect (City of Lakewood) ● Becky Richmond , Vice President (City of Golden) ● Betsy Sweet, Secretary Treasurer (Denver Parks & Recreation) ● Mike Sexton, At-Large (City of Pueblo) CPRA Advisory Council: AAPS - Kate Fischer (City of Northglenn) ● Aquatics – Zach Venn (City of Commerce City) ● CARA - Brian Magnett (City of Northglenn) ● Directors – Kit Newland (City of Lakewood) ● Facility Managers – Chad Redin (City of Commerce City) ● Fitness - Tehra Porterfield (City of Northglenn) ● Parks – Chris Byrnes (Foothills Park & Recreation District) ● P.L.A.a.Y – Yasmin Cassini (Metro State University) ● TRSC – Katherine Crocker (Jefferson Center for Mental Health) ● Western Slope - Justin Mashburn (Montrose Recreation District)

CPRA Mission The Colorado Parks and Recreation Association promotes the parks and recreation profession and its growth throughout the state of Colorado.

Winter 2017 • Colorado Parks and Recreation 27

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