Let's Talk Parks Podcast: Stories of Purpose-Driven Parks and Recreation Professionals

Today’s topic is about finding your voice. I think our generation is more inclined to want their voice to be “heard” than other generations.  We want to make an impact, whether that be on a local level or national scale.  There are many ways to do that - and in a future episode, we will talk about creating your personal brand.  That’s definitely important.  But today, I’d like to talk about developing how we can have our voice be heard, and the obstacles that we face when we try to do so.  Finding your voice comes with experience, and age, but it also comes with practice.   

If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com.

In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

Thanks for joining us this week!  Anthony Iracki is back, and this episode is all about reflecting back on 2019 and planning for 2020.  We talk about how we utilized our time, and what our goals are for this next year.  Be sure to head over to beckytalksparks.com and sign up for the email list so that we can send you an email when the new episode drops!

If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com.

In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

From developing program ideas, evaluating success, and managing teams, there’s so much to know when it comes to recreation programming.  It’s one of the most rewarding elements of a parks and recreation career – to develop programs that make a difference in the community.  Sometimes it can help to hear the perspectives of other programmers who are rocking it so you can learn from them.  You can learn how others overcome obstacles similar to yours.  Have you ever experienced: a limited budget? low participation? part-time/seasonal staff? A lack of resources? Most professionals have!  In this episode, we talk with Chris Bass about what it’s like to be a park manager who faces many of these challenges.  We dive into how to develop programs based on community input, how to evaluate programs, and some creative programming ideas (which are a win-win for your department and your community!). Head over to iTunes or your favorite podcast player and have a listen.  I’d so appreciate it if you’d leave a review if you enjoy the show.  Thanks!  

If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com.

In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

No one is perfect and it takes a lot of courage to be open and honest about the mistakes you've made. That's why today I'm confessing 6 huge mistakes that I've made throughout my parks and recreation career and what I did to overcome them. 

If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com.

In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

If you've ever wondered how your parks and recreation agency could strengthen your current brand, or rebrand all together then you've come to the right place. Becky sits down with Claire Cox to discuss this important topic and provide some helpful insight into why branding is so important and how to use it effectively. 

If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com.

In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

In this episode, Becky speaks with Gabe Castillo who is with the Belvidere Park District in Illinois.  Together they walk through the different stages of finding your program idea from community feedback, to then marketing and evaluating that program over time.  

If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com.

In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

What do you do once you figure out that you want to in parks and Recreation?   This is the question that Deona and I started within this conversation.  Deona reached out to me as a current student in the parks and recreation field. I definitely see her as an up-and-coming leader in our field, and I am excited to hear what she has to say!  We talked about how to choose your degree, the right school, the right classes, and then how to get your foot in the door.  She has some really useful tips around volunteering, researching your dream job, and reaching out to other professionals. Deona is working on an app to help people experience parks in new ways. If you’d like to be involved, or perhaps know someone with the technical expertise to help her, please reach out to her at [email protected]   

If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com.

In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

Today Becky has  got a great interview for you!  Becky is talking to Craig Bouck from BRS Associates about future trends in recreation centers, including aquatics, operations, planning, and design. BRS is a planning and design firm that focuses primarily on community and recreation design.  They work around the country to provide bring a lot of these trends we are about to talk about to LIFE.  They like to focus primarily on recreation centers because they say that this is the one architecture that at some point really touches everybody in the community.  Craig is the CEO of Barker Rinker Seacat Architecture. An extremely talented and creative designer, he has a quick intellect and discerning eye. He brings his expertise to all aspects of the practice, from project management to graphic design. Craig is a frequent speaker and author in the recreation, active aging, and aquatic facility design industry.     

If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com.

In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

Pat O'Toole Pat brings over 25 years of management planning for parks and recreation agencies and has been leading projects for GreenPlay since 2003. Prior to joining GreenPlay, Pat was President of OATS LLC, a private consulting firm. Before that he worked for many years as a Principal for another park planning firm, and he was previously a director and assistant director for several agencies in four different states. Pat has extensive expertise in budgeting, operational pro-formas, cost recovery and activity-based costing, efficiencies, public process, and all other facets of leading agencies. He is skilled at leading forward-focused projects and teams, specifically related to creating vision and implementation.  

If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com.

In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.

Staying Relevant in Parks and Recreation is no easy task.  Technology is moving at a rapid pace.  Trends seem to change daily.  What, then, does it mean for agencies to stay relevant? How do we decide when to compete, collaborate, or step back?  In this episode, I talk to Chris Nunes from the Woodlands Township to hear his perspective on what it means to stay relevant in today's world!   Chris Nunes, CPRE is the Director of Parks and Recreation for The Woodlands Township, in The Woodlands, Texas.  In that position, a $22 million operational budget,  a $4-5 million yearly capital improvement program, and is accountable for the management of 140 parks, 15 swimming pools and aquatic facilities, 220 miles of pathways, and 200 miles of the streetscape. He speaks around the country (over 300+ times) on topics including: business plans, contracting, creative programming, marketing, external funding, communication, leadership and succession planning.  In 2012, Chris was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administrators and in 2015 he received the National Distinguished Professional Award from NRPA, and in 2016-2017 he is the President of the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administrators.    

If you enjoyed this episode and are looking for more information on the topic or would like to learn how you can become a contributor or guest visit us at www.letstalkparks.com.

In addition please be sure to follow us on Instagram @Lets_talk_parks for more great content from purpose-driven Parks and Recreation Professionals like yourself.