Wednesday Education Sessions
9:00am-10:30am Opening General Session
10:45am-11:45am Education Sessions
2:45pm-4:00pm Education Sessions
4:15pm-5:15pm Education Sessions
10:45am - 11:45am
A Microscopic Look at Inclusion and Summer Camps
Kathryn V. Reisinger - Recreation Manager, City of Walnut Creek
Justin Bodily - Program Assistant, City of Walnut Creek
Examine multiple types of options for increasing accessibility for your summer camp programs. We will look at options for independent contractor camps, traditional "neurotypical" day camps, all inclusive day camps and successful specific programming ideas for this demographic including day/field trip options and social excursions. In addition to a presentation on what has been successful in the Bay Area, the other half of the session will be an interactive dialogue discussing specific challenging scenarios that arise during daycamp and how to immediately address them with limited resources. Staff training tactics for both full time and part time employees will be addressed.
Rising CalPERS Pension Costs: Is There Any Relief in Sight?
Julio F. Morales, MBA, MPP - Director, Urban Futures, Inc. (UFI)
Is your agency facing new budgetary challenges from recessionary impacts due to COVID, which are exacerbated by rising pensions costs?
This session will provide you with the basics you need to read your actuarial report and understand your pension liability. We will cover common questions, such as: Can I get out of CalPERS? Can we change the formula? Can we eliminate retirement benefits for new employees? Following this, we will learn about financing solutions for addressing your rising pension costs including: Leveraged Refunding, Tax-exempt Exchange, Additional Discretional Payments (ADPs), Internal Loans, and pension obligation bonds (POBs).
We will provide illustrations in a simple and understandable format for all interested individuals at your parks and recreation agency.
Designing for All Lifestyles
Dawn Merkes AIA, LEED AP - Principal, Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.
Andrea Gifford RA, LEED ID+C - Principal, Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.
Margaret Glomstad - Parks and Recreation Director, City of Burlingame
Join us as we discuss how to better understand your community needs and lifestyles and to plan and build a facility and/or programs around those diverse community lifestyles while supporting anti-racism and inclusivity. From health & fitness to creative arts to family fun your community lifestyles play an important role in determining the types of facilities, their amenities and the programs that you offer. This session will focus on understanding your community diversity and lifestyles, how your organization can enhance or support those lifestyles and create a place where your entire community feels welcome and supported.
Interactive Interpretation: Connecting people to park experiences through technology
Oscar a. Johnson - Landscape Architect - Senior Project Manager, MIG
Steve Kakotas - Director of Technology Services, MIG
Dennis Cole - Director of District Partnerships and Operations, ACCESS, Orange County Department of Education
Adolfo Ozaeta - Transportation Manager/City Traffic Engineer, City of Westminster
Many cities are turning to augmented reality, QR codes, apps and other technology to engage and provide an added layer of virtual experience for park visitors. Join us for an interactive session that explores how cities are implementing virtual technology within their parks, trails and signage programs.
Our Facilities. Their Programs. OUR Responsibility! Perception Issues in Youth Sport
Lisa Licata - Senior Director, National Alliance for Youth Sports
Today public entities administer and execute some programs internally and in many communities there's a growing percentage of youth sports programs being operated by outside organizations that use public facilities. Recreation departments have the responsibility to ensure high quality programming for their internal programs and they must take an active role to ensure that all outside user-groups also offer high-quality programs as well. When volunteer-run leagues use your facilities, especially when problems arise, the perception for many is that the public entity is ultimately responsible (you may have received the calls or emails, about programs that are using your fields, courts and rinks - right?). This session provides tools to best handle the management of volunteer youth sports organizations. Whether your agency has one or 100 user groups, you must maintain control of your fields. Not only for the safety and well-being of the young athletes but also for the public perception of your recreation department. Remember, all programs on your fields are your programs.
The Luca Effect
Lydie Gutfeld, MPA - Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, City of San Bernardino
Parks and Recreation Managers must develop strong communication and emotional intelligence skills to provide their team of various personalities the tools to succeed. With the new light-speed and constant changing environments and rules, many staff who were always considered "stars and motivators" are burning out and beginning to self-doubt. Come on a fun imaginative story telling adventure to refill your “cup” and find your inner Luca to take your team to the next level!
2:45pm - 4:00pm
An Equitable Development Plan in Action: San Francisco's India Basin Waterfront Parks & Trails
Nina S. Roberts - Professor, Dept of Recreation, Parks, & Tourism / SF State University
Jacqueline Flin - Executive Director, A. Philip Randolph Institute San Francisco
Omar Davis - Assistant Project Manager, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department
Alejandra Chiesa - Bay Area Program Director, The Trust for Public Land
The value that parks bring to the health and wellbeing of a community cannot be underestimated or understated; and, decades of research provide such evidence. The current movement for parks and green space equity can make long-overdue gains in economic and health equity and racial justice in the built environment. San Francisco's India Basin Waterfront Parks & Trails provide outstanding opportunities for such gains and are poised to be one of the most significant projects in the city. The Equitable Development Plan (EDP), for this project, strives to mitigate the consequences of community disinvestment by implementing an array of anti-displacement strategies defined by, and with, the residents of the Bayview Hunters Point community where this park redevelopment will eventually exist. Participants will learn about successes and challenges of the EDP process, interagency collaboration, community engagement efforts, final approval leading to implementation, and prepare ideas for actions to create their own agency EDP.
Choosing Well at the Fork of Renovation or New Construction
Erica DiCioccio AIA, LEED® AP BD+C - Associate / Architect, Dahlin Group Architecture Planning
Valarie Frost - Director of Recreation & Community Services, City of Lakewood
Alan Campbell - Managing Director, Cumming Corporation
When traveling the road of facility management, you will eventually find yourself standing at the fork of renovation or new construction. Just because a facility is aging or your usage needs have changed, doesn’t mean you have to start from scratch. Find out what you need to know to choose well which way to go.
Facility Managers Roundtable
April Batson M.A. - Recreation Supervisor, City of Yorba Linda
Are you in charge of a facility; a Senior Center, park facility, Community Center, or athletic facility? This group is for you! Join us as we discuss the daily challenges of operating a facility. Talk to others on topics such as policies and procedures, alcohol policies, security, vendors, and user groups. Bring all your ideas and comments!
I AM HERE
Lydie Gutfeld, MPA - Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services, City of San Bernardino
James C. Wheeler ADHD - General Manager, Hayward Area Recreation & Park District
Take a deep dive into your transferable skill sets. Transferable skills are a way for you to show that you can do the job, even if you aren't the perfect match of the job description. As many agencies are working to reorganize roles and responsibilities, a unique opportunity is created for professionals that have been pigeon holed into one specialty. By identifying transferable skills, you can highlight your potential to be an asset to an organization. Learn the HERE concept and find a new lens on how to engage yourself and your staff to enhance productivity and purpose!
JEDI and Your Agency: The Small Steps to Make Big Changes in your Organization
Brandon T. Taylor D.Mgt. - Assistant Professor, California State University, Fresno
Joshua Green CPRP - General Manager / CEO, Cosumnes Community Services District
Nicole Roa
Discover innovative Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion strategies and examine methods that lead to more equitable services.
Moving into the Future: the Power of Transformational Leadership
Lori A. Hoffner - Professional Speaker, Trainer and Consultant, Supporting CommUnity, Inc.
Do you know the difference between transactional leadership and transformational leadership and why it makes a difference in EVERY industry? As the saying goes; “the only constant is change,” and if it’s important for you and your organization to move into the future with positive growth and a thriving staff, you will want to understand how to support this change. This includes appreciating leaders with strength of vision and personality who can inspire followers to change expectations, perceptions, and motivations to work towards common goals. Additionally, that change happens when there is an increase in the leader's expectation of the follower's performance which will result in overall increased performance.
4:15pm - 5:15pm
A Deep Dive into Senior Travel
Kathryn V. Reisinger - Recreation Manager, City of Walnut Creek
Vannessa Cendejas - Program Coordinator - Social Services, City of Walnut Creek
Take a very intensive look at senior travel programs including lunch and learn programs, longer day trips and extended travel programs. Examine and discuss how COVID has changed senior travel and learn how to structure your trips for safety and sellability. Templates on how to recruit, train and schedule travel volunteer ambassadors as well as all trip communication tools will be shared along with best practices. Come ready for idea sharing and an openness to discuss ways to enhance and revive your senior travel program.
All the Feels: Emotions in the Workplace (with Tiarra Warner, Cindy Bagley, Jessica Wallner)
Leah Martinez MPA, CPRP - Program Supervisor, Town of Danville
Jessica Wallner CPRP - Recreation Superintendent, Town of Danville
Do you consider yourself an emotional person, are you “all business,” or somewhere in between? Do you work with others who emote differently than you? This session will provide information on how to manage emotional work effectively while still doing our jobs. Whether it’s a new position, a major life change, a new agency, or supporting a coworker through any of those changes, we’ve got tools for you.
This is an interactive session. Come prepared to share!
Get it Done! How to Develop and Implement an Effective Ten Year Capital Improvement Program
Tom Hare Professional Engineer, Mechanical Engineer - Administrator, Parks and Planning, Conejo Recreation and Park District
Along with the day to day responsibilities of Parks Maintenance professionals, we also are expected to respond to big and small emergencies. How can we get our long term projects done? This interactive, informative, and engaging session will provide Park Maintenance professionals with the tools and techniques to develop, implement, and maintain an effective ten year Capital Improvement Program - and get it done!
Pivoting Parks and Piloting Recreation
Suzanne Wolf CPRP, CPRE -Community Services Director, City of Fremont
Neelay Bhatt- Principal, Pros Consulting Inc.
Kim Beranek CPRP, NRPA Director's School- Deputy Director of Community Services, City of Fremont
Learn how the City of Fremont pivoted through a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan with the largest on-line community meetings, adapted with the app, survey tools and community feedback for continuous learning, and reinvented parks. Take home tools from this session with practical tips on how to pilot, adapt, and adopt quick changes in parks and recreation for long-term success.
Recognizing, Rewarding & Retaining Staff
Lori A. Hoffner - Professional Speaker, Trainer and Consultant, Supporting CommUnity, Inc.
By implementing a Purposed Based Recognition program you reduce turnover, gain buy-in of your organization by employees, and create an environment of support and enthusiasm. Lori will help identify goals and responsibilities of leadership for staff recognition that will retain your most important asset; your employees.
Schedule subject to change.