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August 2024 Spotlight Professional

Chris Powell –  King County Parks

Describe the scope of your position in parks and recreation.

As the Regional Scheduling Supervisor for King County Parks, I manage our facility reservations team. As a unit we’re responsible for managing the scheduling and use of King County’s assets, including ballfields, picnic shelters, indoor facilities, trails, wedding venues, moorage slips, and campgrounds. Our team coordinates closely with the community to schedule events in more than 205 parks, 175 miles of regional trails, and 215 miles of backcountry trails. My responsibility is to oversee all of this and provide support to our amazing team to facilitate successful events for the community.

How long have you been with your present agency?

I have been with King County Parks since June of 2023.

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

I’m a proud alumnus of Eastern Washington University, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Recreation Management. Throughout my years of experience working in the recreation industry, I have operated and facilitated programs at all levels. I have been fortunate in my experiences working in the public and private sectors to serve communities located in both Washington State, and Florida.

  • Eastern Washington University Grad, Class of 2013 GO EAGS!
  • City of Seattle, Sr. Recreation Program Specialist, 2018 – 2023
  • Bellevue Club, Recreation Coordinator, 2015 – 2018
  • TradeWinds Island Grand Resort, Activities Supervisor, 2013 – 2014 

How have you participated in WRPA?

Currently, as the WRPA Vice President I serve on the Executive Board and Finance Committee. In conjunction with those roles, I also serve as the Board Liaison for the Legislative Committee, PREP Committee, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition. 

What inspires you about the parks and recreation field?

What inspires me about working in this field is the positive impact we are able to have everyday for the communities in which we work. Getting to witness successful events and see community programs get off the ground warms my heart because you know lives are being touched. People are being given the opportunity to create memories. That puts a smile on my face and makes all of the work we do worth it. 

 

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

Educating the culturally diverse and extensive populations of King County on all the Parks services available to them is an ongoing challenge for the County. To bridge the gap, our Regional Scheduling Team has collaborated with the Community Outreach Team to facilitate an annual internship training. Because the Outreach Team regularly engages with our community members, they have the unique ability to also educate them. With this collaboration, our interns will receive ongoing, annual training about the opportunities, services, and programs available within King County Parks. Our interns will then share this knowledge with community members, which will foster transparency, accessibility, and equitability.

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

My advice to anyone starting out in the parks and recreation field is to create an appetite for taking on challenges and take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to you. Every experience or situation that you’re able to go through is a gift for your future self and your career. Whether positive or negative, there is something to be taken in, learned, and processed for the better. Stay open to new opportunities and jump onto committees to learn from your peers and rub elbows with your supervisors. Most importantly, make friends and have fun! That’s our job after all…

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

In my first role out of college, I worked as the Activities Supervisor for the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort in St. Pete Beach, FL. One of my responsibilities was to work with interns and guide them through facilitating activities for our guests. During my time there, it became clear that one of our interns had a knack for leadership and a desire to bring her talents to our team. With an upcoming opening on our team, I was able to mentor her and guide her through the ins and outs of our department, including how to work with the other departments at the resort, and how to problem-solve frequent challenges faced by the Activities Department. She, as anticipated, soaked up everything like a sponge, and not only earned a spot on our team but earned a spot as a supervisor in our department.