February 2026 Spotlight Professional

Rick Bruya, CPRP, CYSA - Recreation Coordinator with the City of Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation Department 

Describe the scope of your position in parks and recreation.

I served as a Recreation Coordinator with the City of Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation Department. In this role, I oversaw youth and adult sports leagues as well as the community garden program. My responsibilities included managing youth league sponsorships, recruiting, training, and supervising volunteer coaches and part-time staff. A key focus of my work was ensuring programs were well-supported, inclusive, and provided high-quality experiences for participants and families.

How long have you been with your present agency?

I was with the City of Auburn from September 1992 to December of 2025. 

What did you do before your previous role? (Background experience and previous careers)

Prior to joining Auburn, I worked for one year as a manager at Discovery Zone, an indoor playground in Bellevue, Washington, where we specialized in birthday parties and youth programming. Before that, I spent three years in the San Francisco Bay Area working with multiple agencies delivering youth and adult sports programs as well as teen programming. These early experiences helped shape my long-term interest in community-based recreation.

How have you participated in WRPA?

I was an active member of the Washington Recreation & Park Association from 1992 through 2025. I attended annual conferences throughout my career. I served as an Annual Conference presenter in 1995, 1999, and 2000, and as a WRPA Board Member from 1999–2000 as Athletics/Fitness Chair. I also served on the 2000 Mid-Year Conference Committee and later returned to the WRPA Board from 2010–2012 as the district 2 Representative.

What inspires you about the parks and recreation field?

I am continually inspired by the creativity and innovation within the parks and recreation field. Seeing how professionals across the state and country develop new ideas to engage their communities and keep people active reinforces the importance and lasting impact of this work.

What is one creative solution you and your team have applied to a professional challenge?

In 2021, our daytime open gym program was experiencing low participation, and our facility was underutilized during those hours. As pickleball began gaining popularity, we decided to convert our traditional basketball open gym into pickleball open play. The response exceeded expectations—during the rainy season, participation regularly reached capacity with 24 participants per day. This success ultimately led to the addition of two nights per week of pickleball league play, maximizing facility use and meeting a growing community interest.

Considering what you’ve learned throughout your career, what advice would you share with someone starting out in the parks and recreation field?

Networking is one of the most important things you can do early in your career. Attend conferences, join WRPA networks, and connect with peers whenever possible. Recreation professionals are generally eager to share their knowledge and experiences, and many of us benefited from mentors who guided us when we were just starting out.

What is one of your favorite moments as a parks and recreation professional?  What was your job title?