CONFERENCE SESSION BLOCK 1

• Session 1A
• Session 1B
• Session 1C
• Session 1E
• Session 1F

Leading Your Team Through (and After) the Pandemic

Description: 

This session will hit on some of the key things that we, as Recreation Supervisors, learned during the pandemic in terms of leading staff. We will address the challenges of being shut down and everyone working remotely, to being brought back to run programs in a totally different way, as well as attempting to keep staff morale up and keep people motivated in such unknown times. This session will talk mostly about lessons learned in terms of leading a group of staff, who mostly work in programs or are public-facing, on how to maintain connections in a world of working remotely, to limited face to face time, conducting zoom meetings, etc. What we thought we knew about leadership, connection, and motivation had to evolve in order to meet the changing needs of staff during this time.

Presented by: 

Carmen Murrell, Recreation Supervisor, Shoreline Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services

Bio: My name is Carmen Murrell and I have worked for the City of Shoreline for nine years. I started out as a Recreation Specialist II running Specialized Recreation programs and for the past five years, I have been a Recreation Supervisor who oversees Camps, Specialized Recreation, Outdoor Preschool programs, and youth athletics.

Amanda Zollner, Recreation Supervisor, City of Shoreline

Bio: Amanda Zollner has worked in the Recreation field for 25 years. She has worked for more than 16 years for The City of Shoreline and is currently the Recreation Supervisor overseeing the Youth and Teen Development Programs (YTDP). Her team has an exceptional retention rate which is greatly due to the team's dedication to their mission of creating community amongst Shoreline youth. Amanda is passionate about providing engaging programming to young people and feels that all youth need a place to connect with each other and caring adults.

Angie Rance, Recreation Supervisor, City of Shoreline

Bio: Angie Rance has worked for Parks and Recreation departments for 8yrs and for nonprofit organizations for 12 years. Currently, Angie is a Recreation Supervisor for the City of Shoreline, CAPRA Accredited, and most recently worked for the City of Seattle as a Community Center Coordinator. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Texas in El Paso and is a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional through NRPA.

Learning Objectives

• The knowledge on various techniques on how to retain staff when they are not able to report to their jobs
• The skills needed on how to keep the team aspect alive, even when working remotely
• The attitude to bring to work in order to keep staff morale up in the times of uncertainty- 

Farmers Markets as Thriving Community Spaces 

Description: 

Not only did your local farmers' market survive during the COVID19 pandemic “ they thrived!  More than just fresh produce, farmers' markets today offer diverse programs and services while serving as an essential business and an inclusive weekly gathering space for your local community.  Benefits of farmers' markets include increased access to healthy options, activation of public spaces, economic development, volunteer opportunities, and community programming and engagement opportunities.  Find out where your local farmers market is, learn about advantages to working with your local farmer's markets,  and common obstacles they face.  Most importantly, learn what types of collaboration opportunities exist. Farmers markets across the nation have proved they remain immensely successful despite all of the restrictions and changes these last few years. As parks & recreation professionals are still moving forward through a pandemic, we can use markets as an opportunity to continue engaging community programs despite COVID. Attend this session to find out how and why you should get involved!

Presented by: 

Amanda Valdez, Farmers Market & Special Events Coordinator, City of Auburn; Parks, Arts & Recreation

Bio: Amanda has been the Farmers Market and Special Events Coordinator since 2016. She coordinates several one-day events for the City of Auburn along with the Market. She has helped launch several food assistance programs at the Market, worked with hundreds of vendors, volunteers, and community groups, and developed and implemented children’s and healthy living programming each year. She also advises on the Washington State Farmers Market Association’s Farmers Market Integrity Project.

Carrie Olson, Farmers Market Coordinator, City of Renton; Parks & Recreation

Bio: The Renton Farmers Market Coordinator since 2013, Carrie has helped launch the EBT Token Program along with the Fresh Bucks incentive, and partnered with WSU Food $ense to help expand children’s programming and cooking demonstrations. She advises on the Washington State Farmers Market Association's Farmers Market Integrity Project.

Learning Objectives

• How supporting your local farmers market can help your programming
• What kinds of opportunities for collaboration exist
• Equity and Accessibility: Types of assistance available in a public market setting- 

From Feasibility Study to Aquatic Reality

Description: 

As aquatic facilities age, strategic steps are taken to safely and effectively serve the community. Taking an in-depth look at your existing facility, community, and resources through a needs assessment or feasibility study sets the foundation for bringing a renovation or new construction project to life. This session will explore the process that takes an aging aquatic facility and turns it into a shining community treasure utilizing the case study of William Shore Memorial Pool in Port Angeles, Washington.

Presented by: 

Justin Caron, Principal, Aquatic Design Group, Inc.

Bio: Justin Caron has worked on over 500 projects with municipalities, park and recreation districts, colleges, high schools, resorts, and water parks as they studied, planned, programmed, designed, and constructed new or renovated aquatic centers. Justin received his MBA in 2009. He has presented multiple educational sessions at conferences for national organizations and regional organizations as well as having over a dozen articles published in national or international publications.

Steven  Burke, Executive Director, Shore Aquatic Center

Bio: Steven had the unique experience of being responsible for the transformation of the William Shore Memorial Pool into the Shore Aquatic Center. He worked closely alongside ARC Architects and Aquatic Design Group to complete the project. He has been involved in operating commercial pools for over two decades and is certified as an Aquatic Facility Operator and has graduated from the National Aquatics Management School.

Paul Curtis, Principal, ARC Architects

Bio: Paul Curtis is an experienced architect with a strong focus on community, recreation, and aquatics facility design. Stemming from a professional focus on designing public projects, Paul brings a strong desire to work with the public to create buildings that directly reflect the culture and character of the community in which they reside. Serving as Principal In Charge for the Shore Aquatic Center, Paul worked closely with building ownership, GC/CM contractor, and user group representatives to design an expanded facility that is a new focal point, gathering place, and inspiration for the community.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how to start identifying your aquatic center's needs to serve future generations.
• Learn about average costs and key elements for various steps of the aquatic center improvement process.
• Learn strategies for securing the many resources crucial to a successful aquatic center improvement project. 

Harper's Playground - The How

Description: 

Following Cody's keynote, he's inviting WRPA members to his breakout session where he'll pivot from the WHY of the Harper's Playground model to providing a detailed roadmap of the HOW. In this session, you'll learn how to design, fund, and build your own physically, socially, and emotionally inviting playground. Cody will lead you through choosing a site location all the way up to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Cody's passion for inclusive play is contagious, and his knowledge of the design principles required to achieve a worthy play space to serve the entire community will help anyone interested move closer to creating their own radically inclusive playground.

Presented by: 

Cody Goldberg, Executive Director, Harper's Playground

Bio: Father of two, Cody proudly serves as the executive director of Harper’s Playground. A graduate of New York University with a BFA in film and television studies, he co-founded the organization in 2010 along with his wife, April. Together they spearheaded the design, funding, and construction of the first Harper’s Playground in Portland, Oregon. A big fan of the inclusion of all kinds, Cody is committed to creating opportunities for both of his daughters to build friendships and community for themselves. He believes that the power of a well-designed and realized inclusive play space can truly transform a community for the better.

Learning Objectives

• Participants will be able to assess the viability of a site as suitable or unsuitable for an inclusive play space.
• Participants will be able to sketch a sample inclusive play space.
• Participants will be able to audit/assess the inclusivity of their own existing play spaces.

Building Supportive and Inclusive Programming to Promote Youth Mental Health

Description: 

The pandemic has placed a strain globally on mental health. This, coupled with societal issues relating to equity and inclusion, has led to a difficult period of time for youth leading to a youth mental health crisis.  Join a therapist from Youth Eastside Services to learn skills and concepts which will help you incorporate programming elements that promote youth mental health. Learn how to identify a mental health concern in youth attending your programs, and develop programs that are welcoming to all youth. This presentation will also include information about general patterns being observed by mental health providers, and address common misconceptions about youth mental health.  Demand for youth mental health support is at an all-time high, and as a community, we all need to work together to help our young people.

Presented by: 

Crysta Cady LMHC, SUDPT 

Bio: Crysta is a co-occurring therapist who works with Youth Eastside Services. Crysta supports youth in the community by providing direct services to help young people address problems related to mental health and substance use, provides education and prevention resources in local schools, and is passionate about advocating for how systems impact how our young people interact with the world.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how to understand warning signs of a youth in mental health crisis and identify tools to respond in an effective and supportive way.
• Identify methods to build mental health support and coping skills into recreation program design, addressing barriers to participation to better support youth and ensuring space is welcoming for LGTBQIA+ youth, youth of color, and youth with disabilities.
• Understand contemporary trends related to youth mental health, common misconceptions about youth mental health, and learn what type of programs and services exist to help recreation practitioners better serve youth who are in mental health crisis and prevent youth from entering a crisis situation.

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