Welcoming New WRPA Board Members
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.
- Vice President
- King County Director
- Eastern WA Director
WRPA Vice-President
The WRPA Vice President serves a four-year term, assisting the President and President-Elect with all association business. They become acquainted with the activities of the corporation and the duties of the President in preparation for assuming the presidency. (The person in this position automatically advances to become WRPA President-Elect and then WRPA President.)
Jennifer Burbidge, Parks, Culture & Recreation Director, Lacey Parks, Culture & Recreation
Education: Bachelor of Science Degree (BS) in Recreation Management – Administration, Brigham Young University (Provo UT) 1992
Job History:
- 1997 – 1998 City of Olympia Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (Recreation Specialist and Recreation Coordinator) – athletic tournaments, teen trips, and events, concerts, family events
- 1998 – 2001 City of Anacortes Parks & Recreation (Recreation Coordinator and Recreation Manager) – Teen Center, sailing program, basketball tournaments, special events, sports leagues, and camps for all ages
- 2001 – 2007 City of Federal Way Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (Community Recreation Coordinator and Facility Services Coordinator) – community education and preschool, health and fitness, summer and seasonal camps, specialized recreation, events, new Federal Way Community Center facility services / front desk operations, pass sales, rentals and child care center
- 2007 – 2009 City of Kirkland Parks & Community Services (Recreation Supervisor) – athletics for all ages, Lake Washington School District joint use agreement negotiation, managed seasonal aquatics operations (an outdoor pool and two swim beaches), oversaw North Kirkland Community Center programs and operations including rentals, preschool, health and fitness, special events.
- 2011 – 2014 Hometown Values Magazine Puyallup/South Hill, Graham and Orting (Owner/Area Publisher) – coordinated sales, design, printing, and distribution of the coupon-style magazine to increase marketing and foot traffic for 200+ local businesses. Managed client contracts, networked with business owners, and sponsored and marketed for community events.
- 2014 – 2015 Washington State Fair (Marketing and Group Sales Coordinator) – oversaw group and corporate sales program for the biggest event in Washington State. Managed company employee and family guest days, and implemented the largest guest event to date during Fall Fair with a group of 19,000. Managed discount ticket sales program in partnership with Safeway, Fred Meyer, South Hill Mall, local banks, and other businesses. Managed pre-concert and corporate parties in the Fair View Club and VIP Tent. Represented Washington State Fair at the local and regional level; Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce and Puget Sound Attractions Council in Seattle.
- 2015 – 2017 Metro Parks Tacoma (STAR Center Supervisor) – SERA Campus coordinator, collaborating with campus partners Boys & Girls Club and Tacoma Public Schools / Gray Middle School. Southwest Quadrant representative within Metro Parks Tacoma system. Collaborated with Metro Arts, Aquatics, Sports, Fitness, Youth Development, Outdoor Education, and Specialized and Adaptive Recreation programmers to fulfill community needs and Mission Led Comprehensive Plan initiatives. Liaison between Metro Parks Tacoma and South Tacoma Neighborhood Council and Community Facilitators Committee. Oversaw membership sales, rentals, unique Treetops Playgrounds attraction, Subway contract, programs, and events. Busy, a multi-faceted community center serving an average of 600 people per day.
- 2017 – Present. City of Lacey Parks, Culture & Recreation (Director) – oversee Parks department of 15 staff and work closely with Public Works Park Maintenance and Capital Projects staff to operate and plan for the development of 39 City park properties. Recreation produces approximately 1,100 programs per year and 15 family events. Develop and implement strategic priorities and policies. Plan, organize, direct and evaluate the major programs, facilities and activities of the department. Notable facilities: Lacey Museum, Regional Athletic Complex, Lacey Community Center, Virgil S. Clarkson Senior Center and Jacob Smith House. Foster strong partnerships, community relationships, and community outreach. Oversee two boards, Park Board and Historical Commission.
Other Accomplishments and Community Involvement outside of my job:
- Tumwater Parks & Recreation Youth Basketball Volunteer Coach, December 2021-January 2022
- North Thurston Kiwanis Member 2020-2022, Board Member 2022
- Puget Sound Attractions Council 2014-2015
- Puyallup/Sumner Chamber member 2014-2015
- Orting Chamber of Commerce 2012-2013
- Graham Business Association Member 2012-2013
- Pierce County Network Member 2010-2013, Pinnacle Award Winner 2011, Board President 2013
- Brouillet Elementary School PTA Executive Board 2011-2013
- NRPA Certified Aquatic Facility Operator 2008-2010
- NRPA Marketing & Revenue Sources Management School 2005-2007
- Olympia Lakefair Doubles Volleyball Tournament Co-Coordinator, 2000-2009
- NRPA Young Professional Fellowship Award 1998
- NRPA Certified Parks & Recreation Professional 1998-2009
- Capital City Marathon Expo Coordinator, 1997-2012
WRPA Involvement:
- Member of WRPA 1994-2009 and 2015-2022
- WRPA Networks 1994-2002
- WRPA Young Professional Award 2003
- Mickey Corso Leadership Training Grant Award, 2004
- Conference Attendee and Committee Member
Why do you want to serve on the WRPA Board of Directors: I would like to serve as a volunteer to an organization that has provided me leadership, mentorship, education, and networking opportunities throughout my career. In addition, I believe in constant personal and professional growth and see serving as a learning opportunity.
What type of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives have you contributed to previously or would you contribute to in the future?:
- In Federal Way, I partnered with Highline Community College to oversee an Inclusion Coordinator position and program. The goal of the program was to provide recreation programs for all people of all abilities participating together.
- In Tacoma, I worked in partnership with Metro Parks program area programmers to fulfill community needs and Mission-Led Comprehensive Plan initiatives which included Culture and Heritage as one of three Mission-Led categories. The Plan highlighted that use and needs of diverse populations in Tacoma may be different than the needs of White Alone populations, and additionally, the agency should work to reduce barriers to recreation programs and services. I worked with diverse populations through my role at STAR Center, specifically in southwest Tacoma to provide local opportunities and celebrate heritage.
- In Lacey, I helped secure grant funding from OSPI through North Thurston Public Schools to enable us to continue to provide our free summer recreation and nutrition program for all children in the community.
- In 2020, I instigated the change of our department name from Lacey Parks and Recreation to Lacey Parks, Culture and Recreation to highlight the importance of incorporating the ideas and traditions of groups in our community and in addition to more adequately reflect the facilities, program, and event services our department provides.
- The City of Lacey is the most diverse city in Thurston County. The Lacey City Council appointed a Commission on Equity in 2021. This year I will be bringing some of our department policies before the commission to review from an equity lens. Eventually, all department policies will be reviewed by the Commission on Equity as they get updated. In 2023 I’ll be bringing the Parks, Culture, and Recreation Comprehensive Plan update through the Commission on Equity to seek insights regarding community outreach, program service levels, etc.
Describe the contributions you feel you can make as a member of the WRPA leadership team: I’m a dedicated Parks, Culture, and Recreation professional with an open and creative mind for improvement. I work well as a team to enact change. Most importantly I believe in leveraging the power of parks and programs to achieve equity, encourage healthy lifestyles, strengthen local economies, provide environmental resilience, and build community engagement. I would like to be involved at the state level to help motivate other park professionals to leverage the power of parks and programs in their communities, and to help provide others educational, networking and training opportunities to enhance their personal and professional growth.
Regional Directors
Four regional Directors will be elected to the Board of Directors from the general membership and represent one of the four regions. The four regions are identified as the following:
- King County
- Southwest WA
- Northwest WA
- Eastern WA
This year King County Director and Eastern WA Director are up for election.
WRPA King County Director
Maryke Burgess, Recreation Supervisor, Kirkland Parks & Recreation
I am honored to be a member of WRPA, and I am humbled by the opportunity to run for the King County Regional Director Board Position. This role would greatly extend my passion and professional experience in further supporting the association.
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Recreation from Eastern Washington University
Job History: After obtaining my Bachelor of Arts in Recreation from Eastern Washington University, I began my lifelong journey in parks and recreation. As a Recreation Coordinator of Senior Programs in Redmond and then onto Community Center Manager of Marysville, Business Supervisor for Everett Parks, and now as Recreation Supervisor with Kirkland, my dedication to improving business practices and creating strong communities has never wavered. During the last decade, I have developed programs for seniors, managed community centers, coordinated special events, and have led numerous administrative projects. The range of duties includes everything from managing a software changeover for a department responsible for millions of dollars in funding to organizing multiple community events.
WRPA Involvement: A passion for creating lively communities through enriching programs and collaborations led to my involvement in WRPA. To connect with association professionals has brought me amazing and positive experiences in both good and challenging times. Because of the benefit of WPRA, I've been able to network, share, learn and grow. I have had the pleasure of serving WRPA since 1998. I started lending a hand on the planning committee but have been lucky to hold several roles over the years:
- 2012 Mid-Year Planning Committee Member
- 2017 Coordinated Annual CPSI Training
- 2017-2020 Professional Development Committee member
- 2017-2020 Education Committee Member
- 2020-Present Chair, Sponsorship Committee
- 2020 Co-planner of the Funding Options in Parks Forum in Olympia (Ahead of Legislative Day in Olympia)
- 2020 WRPA Blog contributor
- 2022 WRPA Annual Conference Planning Committee team
Why do you want to serve on the WRPA Board of Directors: I wish to serve on the WRPA Board of Directors because I want to represent members in King County, ensuring their voices are heard and work with members across the state. I want to work with the board and the WRPA Executive team to create an updated framework to assist conference planning committees, providing tools to help coordinate conferences. In addition, I'm hoping to collaborate with other professionals and committees to provide quick and easy online learning opportunities for members to access core areas such as contracts, RFP's, government accounting, and other valuable topics.
What type of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives have you contributed to previously or would you contribute to in the future?: When working for Everett, I was a charter member of the Equity, Diversity, and Engagement committee, and I'm thrilled that WRPA has created the newly established EIB committee. I am now with Kirkland, and our team works hard to implement equity and inclusion into our business practices. Strides toward these values include revamping the activity guide to have photos with more representation. In addition, we've created more equitable registration opportunities and changed the way we ask for scholarship donations during registration checkout by telling the story of how their gift impacts recipients, resulting in increased contributions.
Describe the contributions you feel you can make as a member of the WRPA leadership team: My previous experience in event planning, community connecting, activity guide production, sponsorships, analyzing business practices, and my work in areas including teens, seniors, youth, and adult programming will help the WRPA continue to thrive and grow. I am constantly amazed by the innovation and creativity of the members, and my goal is to make sure members feel supported since they are the heart and soul of Parks and Recreation and their agencies.
WRPA Eastern Washington Director
Andy Coleman, Parks & Recreation Director, Walla Walla Parks & Recreation
Education: Eastern Washington University 1995 – BA Recreation Management
Job History:
- 1995 to 1999 – City of Pasco, Recreation Specialist
- 1999 to 2015 – City of Walla Walla, Recreation Supervisor
- 2015 to 2017 – City of Walla Walla, Park Maintenance Supervisor
- 2017 to current – City of Walla Walla, Parks & Recreation Director
WRPA Involvement: During the course of my career my involvement with WRPA has included District Representative, Annual Conference Committee Member, Athletic Section Fitness Representative, and Annual Conference, Co-Chair.
Why do you want to serve on the WRPA Board of Directors: Membership in WRPA has proven to be very valuable to me during my 27-year career in Parks & Recreation and I would welcome an opportunity to give back. I was active in WRPA early in my career and now that my kids are older I have time to be involved again.
What type of Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives have you contributed to previously or would you contribute to in the future?: I will work to continue to support and encourage policies and practices that support and encourage Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives.
Describe the contributions you feel you can make as a member of the WRPA leadership team: Represent the eastside of the State and encourage other eastside professionals to get involved with WRPA.