Prioritizing the Health and Well-Being of Our Military Communities — June Bonus Episode
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
Release Date: 05/25/2023
Building Belonging: Neurodivergent Perspectives in Parks and Recreation (Part 2) — Episode 154
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
As you may recall, our final episode of 2023 was . It was a wonderful conversation with Kande Jones, the Development Director for Mulvane Recreation Commission, and Dave McDaniel, the Operations Coordinator for City of Mobile Parks and Recreation about their experience as neurodivergent individuals. Well, we’re finally back with part two of the conversation! The inspiration for these episodes came from a 2023 NRPA Annual Conference session, “Neurodiversity and Inclusive Workplaces: Insights from Park and Recreation Professionals.” The session explored the individual strengths...
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Creating a World Where Humanity Stands Out — Episode 153
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
On today’s episode, we’re talking with someone who has been making a big impact in the larger outdoor industry for a while now. Teresa Baker, founder of In Solidarity Project, is an outdoor enthusiast focusing on community engagement, creating events that encourage people to venture outdoors responsibly, and learning about our open spaces and what it takes to protect them. Teresa’s commitment to creating outdoor experiences that speak to culture, environmental responsibility and inclusion is something to be admired, and she is a staunch advocate for bringing underrepresented...
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Creating Space for Belonging in Juneau, Alaska — Episode 152
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
March is Women’s History Month, and this year’s theme celebrates women who advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion. This year we are honoring women who lead change in their field, and today’s episode does just that. There are so many women who are leaders in parks and recreation and bringing positive change to their communities, and today we’re excited to talk with two women who are leading the way in Juneau, Alaska. Our guests today are Amanda Lovejoy, a recreation coordinator at the Zach Gordon Youth Center for City and Borough of Juneau Parks & Recreation, and Lauren...
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Having Fun and Doing the Right Thing in San Antonio — Episode 151
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
We know the importance of partnerships in parks and recreation, and on today’s episode of Open Space Radio, we’re diving into an exciting partnership between NRPA and Bobcat. As part of this partnership, Bobcat has extended five grants, each worth $50,000, to support across the country. Today, we’re excited to learn more about one of these projects taking place in San Antonio, Texas. We were thrilled to speak with Caryn Odenbach, brand and experience specialist at Bobcat; Kristen Hansen, deputy director of parks and recreation at San Antonio River Authority; and Ayanna Williams, NRPA...
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Make an Impact by Leading with a Mentoring Mindset — Episode 150
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
As you may know, January is National Mentoring Month, and all month long, NRPA has been sharing content around how mentoring through parks and recreation is helping youth develop positive connections with trusted and caring adults, which we know can support their long-term success. National Mentoring Month is an annual opportunity to spread awareness of the power of mentoring. It serves as a reminder of the critical role park and recreation professionals play in providing youth development and youth mentoring services in local communities across the country. We were thrilled to have a...
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Imposter Syndrome Is Real — Episode 149
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
Season two of Open Space Radio begins today! For the next year, we will focus on conversations around the 2024 NRPA annual theme, “Where You Belong,” and we’re so excited to kick off this season with a wonderful conversation. On today’s episode, we’re joined by Gabby Vera, CPRP, the regional park superintendent for Maricopa County (Arizona) Parks and Recreation. Between her session at the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference and her Open Space blog post, titled, “” — which explored practical strategies to boost self-confidence, overcome imposter syndrome and thrive in...
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Building Belonging: Neurodivergent Perspectives in Parks and Recreation (Part I) — Episode 148
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
Back in October at the 2023 NRPA Annual Conference, there was a session that really piqued our interest – so much so, that we wanted to turn it into a two-part podcast episode, with today’s episode being part one (and part two coming in Spring 2024!). The session, “Neurodiversity and Inclusive Workplaces: Insights from Park and Recreation Professionals,” explored the individual strengths neurodiverse professionals bring to their work and the strategies and accommodations that have helped them succeed, as well as ways to find workplace champions and allies. The presenters also offered...
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We’re Stronger Together — Episode 147
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
It is our next to last episode of 2023, and we’re so thrilled to chat with our guest today, as she is someone who we’ve been hoping to get on the podcast for a while, someone who is a true leader in the profession, and someone who a lot of our listeners may know. Dr. Tiffany Johnson — or Dr. J., as she’s known in many circles — is not only one of the most stylish park and recreation professionals out there, but she also is an expert and an innovator when it comes to change management, professional development, strategic planning and diversity, equity, inclusion, and...
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Entering the Next Era of Open Space Radio — Episode 146
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
I’m really excited for today’s episode because I am joined by my colleagues and new co-hosts, Christina High, NRPA’s marketing specialist, and Cara Myers, NRPA’s marketing and engagement manager. I’m really looking forward to this new era of Open Space Radio, and as many of you know, it’s been a while since I’ve had co-hosts. So, we thought it would be fun to sit down together for an episode and discuss what we’re looking forward to, what you can expect on the show in future episodes, and share some of our experiences and takeaways from the NRPA Annual Conference a few weeks...
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Preparing the Next Generation of Diverse Leaders in Parks and Recreation — Episode 145
Open Space Radio: Parks and Recreation Trends
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...
info_outlineThe June issue of Parks & Recreation magazine is out now, and on today’s bonus episode of the podcast, we’re diving deeper into one of this month’s feature stories, “Leading the Way to Health and Well-Being: How Armed Forces Recreation Fosters Healthy Military Communities.”
The article, written by Allison Colman, NRPA’s director of health, and Alex Reynolds, Parks & Recreation magazine’s associate editor, highlights how park and recreation professionals working within military communities share the same goal as their peers in local agencies — to support their community’s health, well-being and quality of life through recreation.
I’m thrilled to be joined by two of the professionals highlighted in the article, Shandy Scott, the business and recreation branch chief for the Air Force Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs in San Antonio, Texas, and Lisa Sexauer, director of fleet readiness for Navy Installations Command in Washington, D.C.
Tune in to our full conversation below to learn more about the work Scott and Sexauer are doing to keep military families in their respective branches healthy and active through parks and recreation. You’ll also learn:
- The role that Armed Forces Recreation/MWR professionals play in the military and communities
- What benefits MWR provides for service members, families, and communities
- Current challenges impacting Armed Forces Recreation/MWR divisions and professionals and how they are being addressed
- How Armed Forces Recreation/MWR and municipal park and recreation departments can partner to address and promote the health and well-being of all people
- How Armed Forces Recreation/MWR is centering equity and shifting to a deeper focus on mental health and well-being in its efforts, and much more!