Each year, we welcome new members to the WRPA Board of Directors at the Annual Conference & Tradeshow. The Board of Directors is the governing body of our association and is responsible for the supervision, control, and direction of WRPA. These Board members are elected by you, the members, during an annual election.
The following WRPA members have been elected to join the board:
The USDA Forest Service awarded six million dollars to our program with funding from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Eighty-percent of these dollars will go out as pass-through grants to disadvantaged communities, while the remaining 20% will go toward unmet needs within the program. Applicants will be eligible to receive a 100% match waiver as required by the federal government—that’s right, no match!
In addition, our program is receiving an additional six million dollars from the Washington State Legislature. These dollars are funded out of the new Climate Commitment Fund and must be spent in the ’23-’25 biennium which starts on July 1. It is very likely that some of these dollars will be available for grants to constituents outside of those disadvantaged communities, and some matching funds will be required. Pass-through grants funded by both state and federal dollars will be announced in the fall of 2023. Applications will likely be due in January, though final decisions on timelines, funding amounts, and match requirements among other details, have not yet been made.
Jennifer Papich, WRPA Past President
Each year it saddens me when I see the extremely small numbers of nominations we have submitted for professional and spotlight awards because I know how fantastic you all are and I know the tremendous work we all do that deserves to be celebrated, recognized, and honored.
In early 2022, a long list of Washington agencies were awarded funds from the SEEK (Summer Enrichment Experiences for Kids) funds program. This program was hosted in partnership between WRPA, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and in coordination with the Association of Washington Cities (AWC). Last year, we had so many recipients that applied and a total of $2,523,416 was awarded by the 2021 SEEK Program.
WRPA is so honored to have been involved in this process. It was just over a year ago that we began the conversations with OSPI and AWC that culminated with this funding opportunity for so many of you.
This spring, we want to honor the amazing people, parks, and programs that received an award at the awards ceremony during the 75th Annual WRPA Conference. The WRPA Awards Program honors individuals and organizations for their contributions to the field of recreation and parks in Washington State. A variety of awards were handed out to WRPA members and public citizens.
There are three categories recognized for WRPA's Awards Program: Professional Awards, Citation of Merit Awards, and Spotlight Awards. In addition to these categories, WRPA also acknowledges Mickey Corso Leadership Grant recipients.
Good Afternoon to WRPA Executive Board, Exec Director, LEG Chair & Leg Committee, and LEG Distribution List:
I wanted to give you all a brief rundown of – and a chance to provide input on – the work that the state Recreation & Conservation Office (RCO) is doing in evaluating how to best deploy a one-time, $42 million sum of funds that is left over from a Stadium and Exhibition Center Account maintained by the state and used to pay off the bonds on the Seahawks Stadium approved by statewide voters many years ago. By law, the excess revenues no longer needed for the stadium go into a Community Outdoor Athletic Facility fund per RCW 43.99N.060. The fund bears some similarities to the Youth Athletic Facilities (YAF) account we benefit from today.
WRPA is bringing back the Success Story Program.
2021 has not quite been the year we were hoping for. However, WRPA is proud to see so many professionals from our industry are who still hard at work making this pandemic a little easier for our communities.
Happy Monday, everyone!
Last week, individual agencies that applied and were awarded SEEK (Summer Enrichment Experiences for Kids) funds through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and in coordination with the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) were notified of this most exciting opportunity.
This spring, we want to honor the amazing people, parks, and programs that received an award at the awards ceremony during the 74th Annual WRPA Conference, our first-ever virtual conference. The WRPA Awards Program honors individuals and organizations for their contributions to the field of recreation and parks in Washington State. A variety of awards were handed out to WRPA members and public citizens.
There are three categories recognized for WRPA's Awards Program: Professional Awards, Citation of Merit Awards, and Spotlight Awards. In addition to these categories, WRPA also acknowledges Mickey Corso Leadership Grant recipients.
WRPA wants to honor Washington's exceptional people, parks, and programs. We know that you work hard as a park and recreation professional to enhance the lives of the people in your community. We want to celebrate that hard work!
The WRPA Awards Program honors individuals and organizations for their contributions to the field of recreation and parks. We have a variety of awards to help you gain recognition and this year we have made the nominations process much easier.
WRPA wants to honor Washington's exceptional people, parks, and programs. We know that you work hard as a park and recreation professional to enhance the lives of the people in your community. We want to celebrate that hard work!
The WRPA Awards Program honors individuals and organizations for their contributions to the field of recreation and parks. We have a variety of awards to help you gain recognition and this year we have made the nominations process much easier.
Metro Parks Tacoma has won the prestigious 2019 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management, the top achievement in the industry.
The City of Shoreline is celebrating becoming just the third city in Washington State to earn national accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). This esteemed accomplishment places Shoreline in the good company of Tacoma and Bellevue as they join the top 1% of Parks and Recreation agencies across the country.
The NRPA Annual Conference is one of the premier annual meeting of the park and recreation community. The three-day event brings together more than 8,000 park and recreation professionals, citizen advocates ands industry suppliers for amazing networking opportunities, hundreds of education sessions and the industry's largest trade show showcasing the products and services of nearly 400 exhibitors.
This spring, we want to honor the amazing people, parks, and programs that received an award at the awards banquet during the 72nd Annual WRPA Conference & Tradeshow. The WRPA Awards Program honors individuals and organizations for their contributions to the field of recreation and parks in Washington State. A variety of awards were handed out to WRPA members and public citizens.
There are three categories recognized for WRPA's Awards Program: Professional Awards, Citation of Merit Awards, and Spotlight Awards. In addition to these categories, WRPA also acknowledges Mickey Corso Leadership Grant recipients.
Announces 2019 Annual Award Recipients
The Washington Recreation & Park Association (WRPA) celebrates people, parks, and programs with an award program honoring individuals and organizations for their contributions to the field of parks and recreation in Washington State. The 2019 award recipients were honored at our Annual Conference & Trade Show on Thursday, April 11th at the Hilton Vancouver in Vancouver, WA, USA.
Early Bird Registration Ends Soon
Prices go up after Friday, February 8
Have you registered for the WRPA Conference & Tradeshow? Did you know that attendees get to choose from more than 45 educational sessions based on more than 10 different topics including aquatics, management, leadership, equity, programming, customer service, risk management, and finance? Register today and start picking sessions from the 2019 event schedule like the highlighted sessions below.
