| Catch up on the latest news and happenings around the state. |
The 2024 WRPA Annual Conference, held from May 21-24 in Vancouver, Washington, was an incredible success! We had the pleasure of welcoming over 550 parks and recreation professionals, sponsors, exhibitors, and speakers that came together to join us for a fantastic event filled with celebration and networking. The picture above captures some of our exhibitors having a great time enjoying their bagged lunch during the lunch break.
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King County Play Equity Coalition
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The King County Play Equity Coalition envisions a community where all youth, especially those from historically underserved backgrounds, can reap the transformative benefits of play, sports, outdoor recreation, and physical activity. The coalition's mission is to unite various organizations to challenge and reform systems, ensuring that physical activity is prioritized as a crucial element of health and youth development. The coalition's core values include centering communities of color by empowering and elevating their existing expertise, promoting the protective benefits of play and fun at all levels, fostering cross-sector collaboration to develop comprehensive solutions, and actively working to disrupt systemic racism and oppression embedded within traditional systems.
View this video to learn more.
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Spotlight Professional: Jordanne Krumpols
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City of Shelton - Supervisor
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Jordanne is one of the Supervisors for the Parks, Recreation & Facilities department. This role includes helping oversee both park and facilities projects, run recreation programs, and handle facility and park rentals. Jordanne also oversee both the Arts Commission, Parks Advisory Board and Adopt-A-Park program, which are all volunteer committees.
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Join thousands of park and recreation professionals at the 2024 NRPA Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 8-10.
Register early to take advantage of the early bird discount: NRPA Registration.
For more than 50 years, the NRPA Annual Conference has been the premier event for the park and recreation community. Highlights include:
- Educational Opportunities: Earn CEUs from hundreds of sessions, ranging from entry-level to advanced courses.
- Networking: Connect with fellow professionals through scheduled events.
- Exhibit Hall: Explore products and services from more than 400 vendors with interactive exhibits.
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The EIB (Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) Committee of the WRPA (Washington Recreation and Park Association) has been actively engaged in shaping the new Strategic Plan for the organization. Over the past five years, the Committee has diligently worked on initiatives aimed at empowering members to integrate principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging into their agencies. This effort has involved providing training sessions and equipping members with relevant resources.
Currently, the Committee's primary focus lies in offering feedback and consultation on the ongoing development of the Strategic Plan. Additionally, members are committed to supporting each other as they continue to advance EIB-related work within their respective agencies.
Meetings of the EIB Committee are scheduled for the second Friday of every month at 1:00 PM. WRPA members are encouraged to participate and contribute to these discussions, as the Committee welcomes input from a diverse range of perspectives.
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Announcements & Highlights
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Over the past six months, WRPA has updated its Mission, Vision, Values, and Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EIB) Statement based on interviews and feedback. Our Strategic Plan outlines our future engagement with members and the Parks & Recreation profession, along with an action plan to achieve these goals.
Please review the Strategic Plan and provide any feedback or suggestions by June 28, 2024. Your input will help us refine our goals and vision.
REVIEW THE STRATEGIC PLAN
SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK
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Join the WRPA community to make a real impact in parks and recreation. Your volunteer involvement is crucial for our success and growth. By joining us, you can shape the future of recreation and parks, collaborate on impactful projects, gain professional insights, and enjoy the camaraderie of contributing to meaningful initiatives.
REGISTER NOW
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Follow WRPA on Facebook and Instagram to never miss an update!
Engage with our posts, share your thoughts, and be a part of our growing community. Our social media is not just about information—it's about connecting with you. Join the conversation, meet like-minded individuals, and be the first to know about everything WRPA.
Don't forget to tag us in your photos and stories! We love seeing how you're involved and what WRPA means to you. Follow us today and become a part of our vibrant online community.
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We want to promote your agencies! Tag us on your agency's social media post to be featured on WRPA's social media accounts!
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Take a look at our WRPA upcoming future events by viewing the WRPA calendar.
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The Parks Resource Network has been re-activated! We started with meeting at WRPA conferences and training. We then worked to secure speakers on parks resource topics for the 2023 Fall Training and the 2024 Annual Conference. We are currently recruiting sessions and speakers for the 2024 Fall Training and have recently launched email discussions on member generated topics. Topics currently being discussed include: recruitment and retention of parks employees; successful seasonal hiring process; balancing operational needs with staff preference fairly; pest management; drought practices and water conservation; and handling park waste challenges. If you are interested in this network and have not been receiving any discuss emails over the last couple of weeks, email the Parks Resource Network Chairs to get added to the email list. You can officially join the network by signing into the member area of WRPA’s website and going to “my profile”. Click on “edit profile” and select “Park Resources Network” under “Networks”.
If you are ready to engage with the section right now, you can email the Chairs about any of the following:
- Ideas of things this group could do or offer that would benefit you or your agency.
- Issues you are dealing with that you are wondering what other agencies are doing so I can email them to the group and get you information from other agencies.
- Suggestions for topics or speakers we could recruit WRPA conference/training that have a Parks Resource focus.
Parks Resource Network Chairs
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Joanna Martin
Since 2021, Joanna has been the Parks & Urban Forestry Manager for the City of Longview but has been working in municipal parks and recreation departments for 25 years. She is currently on the Board of Regents for the Pacific Northwest Resource Management School and holds certifications as a parks and recreation professional (CPRP) and a playground safety inspector (CPSI).
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David Green
David is currently the Parks Supervisor for the Lake Stevens Parks and Recreation Department. Prior to his current position, David was the Park Ranger Supervisor for City of Everett. He has over 11-years of full-time park experience. David has his CPSI and CPRP. He was instrumental in launching WRPA’s Park Ranger Network.
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WRPA is a membership-driven organization. By sharing your energy and expertise, you can help make WRPA an even more effective professional resource.
Become a volunteer and help WRPA grow. Learn more about valuable opportunities today!
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WRPA Networks are specialized groups that meet on a regular basis and communicate online. Joining a WRPA network gives you the opportunity to meet others in your specific field, like aquatics, maintenance, and programs.
Find your WRPA Network today.
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Thank You Renewing Members
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Agency Members:
- Bellingham Parks and Recreation
- City of Fife
- Clallam County Parks, Fair & Facilities Dept.
- Kent Parks, Recreation & Community Services
- Lynnwood Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts
- Snoqualmie Parks & Recreation
- Spokane Valley Parks & Recreation
- Whitman County Parks & Recreation
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Individual Members:
- Aberdeen Parks & Recreation
- Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation
- City of Pasco
- WCRP
- Romtec, Inc.
- The City of Pullman
- YMCA of Snohomish County
- Pullman Parks and Recreation
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Member Data from May – June
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