Earlier this month I joined nearly 9,000 other people who are passionate about parks and recreation in Dallas at the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference. It was a week full of inspiration, networking and fun — and for me, a chance to celebrate not only all the good work happening in local parks and recreation, but also see the culmination of my NRPA colleagues' hard work in putting on what was a truly incredible event.
One of my biggest highlights of the week was connecting with Chris Bass, CPRP, Director of Parks and Recreation for Douglasville, Georgia, and the incoming Board President of the National Recreation and Park Ethnic Minority Society (NRPEMS), and Thamara Velasco, CYSA, a recreation assistant in Douglasville, chair for public relations for NRPEMS and recipient of NRPA's Young Professional Fellowship.
I really enjoyed our conversation about all the good work going on in Douglasville — who was a National Gold Medal Award Finalist this year — as well as the important work Chris and Thamara are doing to connect and support diverse and underrepresented park and recreation professionals as part of the NRPEMS.
This was truly one of my favorite parts of this year's conference, and it was such a joy to sit down with Chris and Thamara to learn more about them and soak in some of the passion they have for parks and recreation – I was inspired after this conversation, and I hope you are too.
Tune in to our full conversation below. You'll learn:
- How NRPEMS is building community for park and recreation professionals of diverse cultures and backgrounds
- Why it's important to have a network focused on diverse professionals in our industry
- How NRPEMS has been beneficial for Chris and Thamara in their careers
- What being part of NRPEMS and being park and recreation professionals serving their community means to Chris and Thamara
- How to get involved with the NRPEMS, and much more!
Related Links:
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.