Drew Pollak-Bruce (SE Group) – Value of a Professional Dirtbag Presentation Part 2 - International Trails Summit 2023 #130

Drew Pollak-Bruce (SE Group) – Value of a Professional Dirtbag Presentation Part 2 - International Trails Summit 2023 #130

Anyone can plan, design, and build a trail, right? As we all know the answer is no, and it takes not only technical skills but also the right combination of grit, humility, and endurance to be a professional "dirt bag". This session will explore the culture, training, and professional development needed to have a career that your mom and dad approve of and why it's important to have professional trail jobs.   Learning objectives: Understanding the importance of "Starting with Why" from Simon Sinek's work is the foundation for being a trail professional Understand why organizational culture is critical to employee success Identify critical success factors for building a culture-based organization or company Identify ways to professionalize trails work (built upon trailskills.org work)

Topics:

• Drew’s back story and how he got into working for the SE Group
• What the SE Group is (Formerly Snow Engineering)
• The Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals
  • Drew is the current President of SORP
• Outdoor Recreation as a profession
• How Big is Outdoor Recreation in terms of GDP
• Moving to communities because of a lifestyle more than a career and that shift
• Career Paths, and the ability to earn a solid wage in the Outdoor Recreation Industry
• The Great Shuffle and people changing careers
• Transitioning from a traditional professional career to a similar role in Outdoor Recreation
• Other Highlights from the Value of a Professional Dirtbag Presentation
  • What the Recreation Workforce Needs
  • Identifying core skills to work in various roles in Outdoor Recreation
  • Inclusive Workforce
• Placing real value on Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure
• Rib Mountain State Park (Granite Peak Ski Area) in Wausau WI and more on the backstory of this newly approved Master Plan
  • How the Wausau Chamber of Commerce was the catalyst for this Master Plan
• Drew’s thoughts on the 2023 International Trail Summit as a whole
• 2024 National Outdoor Recreation Conference in State Line, NV
• 2025 American Trails and PTBA International Trail Summit – to be held in Madison, WI
• What does it take to become a member of the Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals
• What does Drew look for in a Trails or Outdoor Community
• Drew’s thoughts on Knoxville, TN – and the 2022 NORC
• The need for more outdoor recreation professionals
  • People are hiring!
• Planning and Design helps to unlock funding
• Closing Comments and Thank You’s

Links:

International Trail Summit: https://www.americantrails.org/symposium

SE Group: https://segroup.com/

Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals: https://www.recpro.org/

2024 National Outdoor Recreation Conference May 6-9, 2024 South Lake Tahoe, Stateline, NV https://www.recpro.org/norc-2024

Loam Coffee: https://www.loamcoffee.com/

Photo Credit: Sean Benesh of Trail Builder Mag: https://www.trailbuildermag.com/

 

Episode Sponsor - Coulee Creative: www.dudejustsendit.com https://www.couleecreative.com/

 

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Discount Code (20%) for both KETL Mtn Apparel and Trail One Components: TrailPod

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