Legends Full Video Library

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Jodie Adams, a graduate of Missouri State University, has made a significant impact in the parks and recreation industry. She was instrumental in securing the Community Olympic Development Program for Springfield, which supported hundreds of youth athletes in various sports. In 2010, Jodie received the United States Tennis Association President's Award, the International Tennis Hall of Fame's-Samuel Hardy Award for Outstanding Service to Tennis, and in 2021 received the coveted United States Tennis Association Barbara Williams Service Award. Jodie's dedication to the sport and her personal unselfishness have inspired others throughout the nation.

As a past President of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Jodie continues to drive the pursuit of improving the profession and the organization. She recently chaired a committee on behalf of the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) and NRPA to revise the requirements for the NRPA Gold Medal Awards Program, improving the process for all agencies to compete for this coveted national award.

Throughout her career, Jodie has consistently demonstrated three reoccurring characteristics: grace in her successes, character in her pursuits, and excellence in her achievements. Jodie has made significant contributions to the parks and recreation industry, including her role as a NRPA President and a member of the Missouri Recreation and Parks Hall of Fame. Her dedication to the sport and her dedication to promoting parks and recreation have left a lasting impact on the state and beyond.

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Horace Albright

Professional Career and National Leadership

Horace Albright served as the second director of the National Park Service (1929-1933), following Mr. Steven Mather. Mr. Albright recounts with keen political insight the events that led to the designation of Yellowstone as the first National Park in 1872. Historical sketches of conservation leaders like John Muir, who worked to achieve acquisition and protection of Yosemite National Park, Sequoia, and King Canyon in 1890, are colorful and inspirational. Viewers seeking “first person” accounts of our national parks’ legacy will find historical detail regarding the formative years of America's national parks and conservation movement.

Mr. Albright's contributions as National Park Service Director include the establishment of the CCL (Civil Conservation Corps) in 1933 and designation of “eastern” national parks including the Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah, and Mammoth Cave national parks. Establishment of national monuments and historical parks were initiated by Mr. Albright with the support of President Hoover. Mr. Albright is credited with “professionalizing” the National Park Service by placing park superintendents in the civil service system.

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Edith Ball
A delightful, soft spoken, and gracious lady, Dr. Ball opens a window into the beginnings of therapeutic recreation and leisure counseling. She taught health and physical education at several locations before landing at the Western Reserve School of Nursing. Out of this experience grew her interest in using recreation as motivation for giving patients a will to live. She served as the state supervisor of recreation in Maryland under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and was executive director of a settlement house in New York City while she worked on her doctorate at NYU. She tells of the formation of the Recreation Workers of America that led to the establishment of the American Recreation Society (ARS) of which she served as president. She was president-elect of ARS during the merger talks about a unified national parks and recreation organization in 1962 and was a charter trustee of NRPA. She speaks of the beginnings of the accreditation program for parks and recreation curricula in colleges and universities. A highlight of her career was the establishment of the therapeutic recreation curriculum at NYU. She offers some insights into the inherent conflict in the NRPA structure. She stayed active after retirement, participating in music, dance, drama, and outdoor activities, as well as doing volunteer work at local social service agencies and teaching at a local college. This is a wonderful tape to get the flavor of the formative years of the recreation profession.

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Dr. Joe Bannon's many contributions to the field have been made while he has occupied four different roles during the course of his career: professional; educator; consultant; and book publisher. After completing an undergraduate degree at Ithaca College and a master's degree at the University of Illinois, he assumed the position of Superintendent of Recreation in Leonia, New Jersey. In 1963, he became the General Superintendent of the Topeka, Kansas Recreation Commission. In 1966, Dr. Bannon returned to the University of Illinois to become the Chief of the Office of Recreation and Park Resources, which was the outreach arm of the Department. While in this position, he completed his Ph.D. In 1973 he was appointed head of the Department of Leisure Studies. He remained in this leadership position until his retirement.

During his tenure at Illinois he authored or co-authored nine books on the subject of management which is his speciality. His initiative and drive led him to co-found the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration (JPRA) in 1984. JPRA is now in its nineteenth year of publication and is established as one of the field's major journals. During the 1980s and 1990s there was a movement away from the park and recreation administration option in university departments, and the existence of JPRA has been crucial to the retention of that option.

In 1974, Dr. Bannon founded a consulting company, Management Learning Laboratories. The company completed master plans, feasibility studies, and market studies for many park and recreation agencies across the country. In addition, it arranged seminar and workshop programs both in the U.S. and abroad.

The final phase of Dr. Bannon's career has been as a publisher. He is the founder and CEO of two publishing companies based in Urbana, Illinois: Sports Publishing, Inc. and Sagamore Publishing. Sport Publishing, Inc. focuses primarily on sports books for the popular market and offers biographies of famous sports figures. Sagamore Publishing has published over 100 books which address park and recreation issues. Sagamore was founded in 1983 at a time when the major national publishing houses were withdrawing from the parks and recreation field because they considered it to be too small to be profitable. Sagamore stepped into this void and has been an important resource in providing texts for college curricula and disseminating information to professionals in the field. Throughout his life, Dr. Bannon has been in the forefront of the parks and recreation field at the national level. He has been a forceful advocate for the field in numerous forums and has earned widespread respect among his peers.

Dr. Joseph J. Bannon: 40 Years and No Slowing Down
by Denise M. Anderson, Ph.D. Candidate
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Source: Academy Bulletin, 1996

After forty years in the field of leisure, Dr. Joseph J. Bannon has found his own leisure niche. "Golf, running and my grandkids," answers Bannon when asked how he spends his leisure time. But do not look for Bannon to retire anytime soon in order to enjoy more leisure time.

Bannon came to the field of parks and recreation in 1958 as a graduate student in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at the University of Illinois. Under the tutelage of Dr. Alan Sapora, he soon became "hooked" on the field"I graduated with a degree in Physical Education from Ithaca College in New York. After graduation, I was looking at graduate programs at Indiana University and Illinois and one of my instructors pushed me to work with Dr. Charles Brightbill and Dr. Sapora at Illinois" explains Bannon. "I thought I would teach P.E. during the school year and then work in parks and recreation during the summer; I was looking for something to do. But after arriving at Illinois I was no longer interested in physical education at all."

After leaving Illinois in 1958 with his M.S. in hand, Bannon started his career as a practitioner in Leonia, New Jersey, as the Superintendent of the Leonia Recreation Commission. "It was a town of 8,000, I knew everyone and everyone knew me, it was a very meaningful experience."

But after eight years, Bannon was ready for a new challenge. That challenge was in the form of serving as the General Superintendent of the Topeka Recreation Commission in Topeka, Kansas. "In Topeka we had more resources. I worked at developing art programs and we built a number of swimming pools while I was there - there was a lot of building," say Bannon of his Topeka tenure.

However, Illinois soon came calling. "When Al Sapora became the department head he asked me to return as the Chief of the Office of Recreation and Park Resources," says Bannon. "I couldn't turn him down." Thus began the second phase of Bannon's career, that of an academician.

Bannon's tenure at Illinois spanned from 1966 to 1991 during which time he earned his Ph.D. and served as the Department Head. While serving as the department head, Bannon worked on changing the name of the department from Parks and Recreation to Leisure Studies. "We went to the faculty senate with a proposal to change it to "Leisure Science" but we knew the physics and biology guys wouldn't go for that, all along we knew we would be happy with 'Leisure Studies' so we used that as our bargaining chip," says Bannon.

While on faculty at Illinois, Bannon advised over fifty student Master's theses and Doctoral dissertations. He also did a large amount of foreign scholarship traveling to Japan, China, Korea, South Africa, Germany, Netherlands, and Italy. Additionally, the department developed an off campus program where courses were offered all over the state thus allowing professionals to earn either an M.S. or an M.A.

However, despite his success at Illinois, he eventually became restless. "I get bored easily, I guess it's part of my personality," says Bannon. "What I have liked the most about each stage of my career has been the development phase. I like building and creating something new, but once it gets running I would rather let someone else run it and move on to something new."

In 1984 that something new was an idea hatched in a family room - Sagamore Publishing. While Bannon had served as the President of Management Learning Laboratories (MLL) since 1974, by 1984 he was ready to take on the publishing world. "We started with one publication, Management Strategies, which today has a subscription base of 6000 practitioners. We saw a need for texts in this field as bigger publishers, facing money crunches, quit publishing within our field. We aimed to fill the gap."

And fill the gap they have. In 1987, Sagamore started a trade book division which concentrates primarily on sports books for the popular market. Today, the company has been broken into two distinct companies - Sagamore Publishing and Sports Publishing, Inc.

Having been a practitioner, an academician, and a businessman, Bannon has the authority to engage in discussions on a number of subjects within the field. In fact, in 1987, as part of the J.B. Nash Scholar Lecture Series, Bannon presented his thoughts on the future of leisure in a lecture entitled "Managing Leisure Services in a Decade Ahead." How have his ideas held up? "The energies and efforts of people in leisure have tried to make changes but change is slow to recognize. The economic downfall of the past prevented some of the changes from occurring. However, I do see an enormous effort on the part of practitioners to change with the times to meet new demands."

For future practitioners, Bannon also offers some advice. "Make sure you understand the depth and breadth of the field and choose your career steps accordingly. Don't get a fix on what you are going to do until you explore the field and all it has to offer."

Along the same lines, Bannon would point to his philosophy on educating future practitioners as a good piece of advice for everyone in a position to teach. "Don't tell students what to do but why do it, otherwise they will be lost as a practitioner."

Bannon lists fairness as the most important lesson that he himself learned in his career. "I always tried to be fair in each part of my career" he says. "While not everyone always agreed with my decisions, if I could go home and sleep having been fair and honest I felt that was an accomplishment."

Besides fairness, Bannon can certainly point to a number of other accomplishments that he has achieved over the past four decades. Bannon is a founding member of the American Academy of Recreation and Park Administrators and a founding fellow of the Academy of Leisure Sciences. Among others, Bannon has also received the J.B. Nash Scholar award, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mid-America Publishers, an Appreciation Award from the State of Illinois, the National Distinguished Professional Award from the National Recreation and Park Association, and the Distinguished Fellow Award from the Society of Park and Recreation Educators. The list of awards is impressive. However, the accomplishments that Bannon points to himself as the most important are raising his two sons and being a grandparent.

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William R. "Bill" Bird (1927-2010) received the Pugsley Medal in 1988. He was born in Austin, Texas. When he was in high school, Bird aspired to be a petroleum engineer. However, after high school he served two years in the U.S. Army Paratroopers soon after the end of WWII and was stationed for much of that time in Japan where he became fascinated by the concept of land planning and the emphasis on beauty which he saw in that culture. This piqued his interest in landscape architecture and resulted in him enrolling in the landscape architecture program at Texas A&M University. As a part of the degree course, he was exposed to parks and recreation, and landscape architecture was a discipline for which many park administrators were trained.

When he graduated from A&M in 1951, he was employed for a short time as a landscape architect in San Antonio before being appointed assistant director of parks and recreation with the Wichita Falls, Texas, Parks and Recreation Department. The director of this system was Al LaGasse who was an experienced and respected national leader in the parks field. He proved to be a fine teacher and role model for Bird. The standard work week was five and a half days, and on Saturday afternoons after the official work day was finished, LaGasse frequently shared his ideas, philosophy and knowledge of the field with Bird and other young members of the staff. Among Bird's primary responsibilities in his two years at Wichita Falls was the oversight of the construction program which included establishing irrigation systems in four major parks and the construction of parks and sports facilities in 16 other areas.

In 1954, Bird moved to become director of parks and recreation director for Ector County which embraces the city of Odessa in West Texas. This was a new position created by the county. The department functioned on a city-county basis with a majority of the work being done within the Odessa city limits, since 85% of Ector County's population resided there. When he arrived, there were minimal facilities in the county. Six years later when he left the position, Odessa had a model park system -- four swimming pools; neighborhood parks within walking distance of every resident; three major park areas which contained band shells, picnic facilities for large groups, creative play areas, and major sports centers for organized games; and a city beautification program was well on its way.

His outstanding work in Odessa received wide recognition and he was approached by A.D. Barnes (Pugsley Medal 1958) to join the Metropolitan Dade County Park and Recreation Department as superintendent of parks with the expectation that he would succeed Barnes. Bird regarded Barnes as another great leader in the field from whom he learned a great amount. In 1966 he became assistant director, but Barnes gave no indication that he was ready to retire. Thus, Bird was responsive when he was approached by the Graham family, one of the most influential families in Florida, to become senior vice-president of Sengore Development Corporation. Sengore was building a new town, Miami Lakes, which was developed around lakes, parkways, recreation centers and more than 100 mini parks. In retrospect, Bird characterized this as a "sabbatical from the public sector which exposed me to the realities of 'the bottom line', and opportunities to experience a different perspective." Bird never forgot the philosophy of the Graham family which was, "Our goal is not to make as much money as we can. Rather, it is to stay in business as long as we can."

After county voters approved a large bond referendum, the excitement of being able to complete ambitious projects for Metro Dade County lured him back into county government. First, he was appointed director of the massive General Services Department in 1975, and then became director of the Park and Recreation Department in 1977. In his tenure as director, Bird doubled the acreage of the county's public parkland making the Metro-Dade County Park and Recreation Department one of the largest and most opportunity diverse urban park systems in the United States.

In addition to directing a substantial construction and development program, enabling new parks to be dedicated on almost a monthly basis, he completely reinvented the department's revenue producing facilities, demanding that newly generated renvenues be invested back into the park system. His creative approach to proprietary and enterprise operations throughout the park system allowed for growth in an era when most urban park and recreation departments were severely cutting programs and services. He had the ability to combine provision of recreation needs of the community with a strong emphasis on high quality aesthetics. He was especially adept at working with other municipal departments to enhance his parks and recreation agenda.

Perhaps his most stunning achievement was the construction of Metrozoo, a cage-less, zoogeographic environment for animals on 750 acres in South Dade County. The early construction at Metrozoo offers insights into Bird's "can-do" posititve approach to management. The voters had approved $10 million for the first phase of the project, but after the plans were completed and the project was bid, the cost escalated to $52 million. Many people would have concluded that point that the project was "dead". Bird went to work and secured an additional $16 million from other funding sources within and outside Metro Dade government. This was half the needed amount. He reorganized his resources and established an "in-house" construction team to build the project and was able to complete it. Metrozoo rapidly became one of Florida's top tourist attractions and one of the 10 top zoos in the United States. Because the atmosphere is so close to the wild, it became an important international location for breeding some of the world's most endangered species, such as the lowland gorilla.

Bird was criticized by some residents in Dade County for "commercializing" the parks. Given he was receiving no increases in tax support for the system, his response was, "I need to pay for cutting the damn grass." He went on to say in past generations,

People got out of their hot houses and went to the parks to have a picnic under a big shade tree. Picnicking was the main activity of any urban park, now there is just one. If there's picnicking now, it's an ancillary activity for families who come for softball or tennis. we're in competition with TV, air-conditioning, and the backyard pool and the backyard picnic table. I've got to attract people to the parks. You have to give them more than you did in 1940.

A man with a colorful and charismatic personality, Bill Bird was loved and respected by the people who worked for him. He cared for his staff personally and professionally. The organization he built personified his mantra of "team, loyalty, integrity and hard work." His staff were often heard saying: "What are evenings, weekends and holidays for, but to work?!" Bird was quoted as saying: "I'm constantly looking for doers. Start with the right attitude at the top and it will eventually sift down to the lowest level." He believed in on-going training, "Training is like insurance, it protects you from organizational decline." He also had many famous sayings, or "Bird-isms". Examples include: "The best is yet to come!"; "The park needs to sparkle!"; "That's a pregnant idea!"; "If we stop building, we die!"; "we're the damned-ness business conglomerate imaginable"; "Get to work!" and, "Don't waste time swatting boogers in the corner!" [Translation:  instead of thinking how something can't be done, think about how it can be done!]. Bird always exuded enthusiasm and excitement. It was an important facet of his managerial effectiveness because it inspired those around him and served as a model for them. Bird observed, "Enthusiasm is catching, you have to infect people with it. That's how I get the best out of my staff. If the top guy is enthusiastic, the rest will be too. If you love what you do, it shows, and I love what I do."  He observed, "A key to success is to hire people who are smarter than you and then be sure to listen to them. It's never 'my' department; it is always 'our' department. Loyalty to the staff and respect for their talents is critical. No matter how bad the budget situation, you always stay upbeat and keep looking for alternative ways to get things done. That's part of what make the job exciting; it's what makes it so much fun."

Bird was recognized as a champion of conservation as early as 1965 when he won the Bronze Everly Award, presented to him by Mrs. Lyndon Baines Johnson (Pugsley Medal 2004). During his career, he received a host of awards recognizing his outstanding leadership from national, regional and state organizations. In 1979, 1987, and again in 1992, the Metro Dade department won the prestigious Gold Medal Award for outstanding park and recreation management. Other national awards the department received during his tenure included the National Association of Counties (NACo) Information Officers Award of Excellence, National Arts and Humanities Award, more than 50 NACo Achievement Awards, American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums Awards for captive breeding, American Planning Association Award of Excellence for Park, Recreation and Open Space Planning, and the U.S. Olympic Committee Commendation for Outstanding Service.

When discussing "Bill Bird Day" in Dade County as proclaimed by the Dade County Comission in 1987, Bird was described by a Miami radio personality as a "roll up your sleeves and get it done man". That comment typified the professional career of a man who spent more than 40 years building and managing park and recreation systems in Texas and Florida. On the occasion of his retirement in 1994, Bird indicated that rather than list past accomplishments, awards, commendations or accolades, he was most happy with the knowledge that his work "like that of all park and recreation professionals -- will be around for many years to come; much of a person's success in life is determined by what he leaves behind. What is there better to leave behind than a great park for the people of your community to enjoy in the future?"

Sources:

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Dr. Herbert "Bert" Brantley was a pioneer in the field of parks and recreation. He served on the National Recreation and Park Association's (NRPA) Board of Trustees and was president of the South Carolina Recreation and Park Society. He also founded the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands and the National Center for Accessibility at Indiana University.

Dr. Brantley attended Appalachian State Teachers College in North Carolina and enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he was trained as a Russian-English interpreter and served during the Korean War. After returning from the military, he earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His academic career began at North Carolina State University and then moved to Clemson University in 1966, where he founded the Department of Recreation and Park Administration.

Brantley was known for his kindness, generosity, and vision. He was a champion for parks and recreation and believed that everyone should have access to these resources. He was also a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in the field.

Brantley passed away on October 8, 2022, at the age of 93. He will be remembered as a giant in the field of parks and recreation and a true champion for all people and his legacy will continue to inspire and motivate people who work in the field of parks and recreation. He was a true pioneer who made a lasting impact on the field.

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From Sycamore, Georgia to the world scene, Roger K. Brown has traveled a very exciting and interesting road to becoming one of the most highly respected park and recreation professionals in the country. He was a practitioner who enjoyed his focus at the local level. While doing so, he realized that to do his best job for his constituents, he would need to keep abreast of what was happening in parks and recreation around the country. This interest led to his becoming involved in professional organizations at the state, regional, and national levels. He quickly understood that as the world changed, it would be important to understand the international scene as well. 

His farm upbringing taught him a lot about life and the way things work. His small school also gave him a lot of opportunities to participate in many activities and gain leadership skills. He participated in athletics, baseball, basketball, and track, but his main interest was in baseball and played some semi-pro ball after high school. While attending Georgia Southern College, he majored in health, physical education, and recreation and minored in English. The few courses in recreation that were offered then started his interest in the field. Upon graduation and while teaching health, physical education and math, he began to work part-time in recreation. As with many park and recreation people in those days, a field representative from  the National  Recreation Association helped him move into a position as Director of Parks and Recreation at Calhoun, Georgia in 1959. 

In 1970 he completed his master’s degree in Park and Recreation Administration from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

From Calhoun he advanced to directors positions in; Aiken, South Carolina; Dalton, Georgia; and Durham, North Carolina. He then spent four years as the first Southeastern Regional Director of the National Recreation and Park Association. After four years as director in Miami Beach, Florida, he moved to a position of Director of Parks and Recreation in Greensboro, North Carolina.  During his 15 years of leadership in Greensboro, the department flourished. It won two National Gold Medal Awards for excellence in the field of Parks and Recreation Management for cities of that size. Perhaps most importantly, the Chamber of Commerce’s annual survey of the business community consistently ranked parks and recreation services, beauty and cleanliness as the top three factors that positively affected the business community in Greensboro. While there he also hosted the international conference of the International Federation of Parks and Recreation Administration.

Honoring all of his work in Greensboro, the city council named a new recreation center after him.  

Roger chose to “retire” from the City of Greensboro in 1992 and do something unheard of in the field. A national recruiting firm convinced him to leave his comfort zone in Greensboro, move to the Portland, Oregon area and become the first director of the newly-created North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District. He liked to say he made a lot of mistakes when he began his career in Georgia, and he would like to make some amends by starting all over again. After a very successful experience there, he retired from the District in 1997. The District Board created the Roger K. Brown Award to honor annually an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the District. Roger was, of course, the first recipient.

Throughout his career, Roger worked tirelessly in service to several professional organizations. His peers gave him the opportunity to hold several elected offices including presidents of organizations that include the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Society, the American Parks and Recreation Society, the National Council of the National Recreation and Park Association, and then as president  of the National Recreation and Park Association. He was honored to be invited as a charter member of the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administration and served many leadership positions there.

Moving to the international arena, Roger was introduced to the International Federation of Parks and Recreation Administration (IFPRA) through a mutual friend who was serving as NRPA’s representative there. He was also later appointed as the representative of NRPA to IFPRA.  Roger’s leadership abilities and commitment were recognized by that organization. While attending his first international IFPRA conference and board meeting in Auckland, New Zealand in 1986, the IFPRA Board and delegates accepted his invitation to host the 1989 International Congress in Greensboro. This is the first time that an IFPRA congress had been held in the United States. At the same time, Roger accepted the invitation to serve as president-elect of that organization. After a few months, it was necessary for the then president of IFPRA to resign for health reasons, and Roger assumed the position of president, a position which he held for 5 ½ years. It is a tribute to him that he was able to handle these responsibilities, host the International Congress in Greensboro, and also continue to perform his local duties at a high level as director of the Greensboro department.

When Roger took over as president, the organization was experiencing some difficulties with low membership and minimal financing, and its members credited him for bringing financial and organizational stability to IFPRA. Its Executive Director, Alan Smith, at the organization’s international headquarters in England, credits the 5 ½ years Roger served as its president with “saving the organization”. He was subsequently recognized by being elected as a Life Member of the IFPRA Board. Only one other person, who was founder of the organization, has been awarded such recognition. Roger visited more than a dozen countries in Europe and Asia and made several trips to Japan. The Parks and Open Space Association of Japan had established the Sato Prize in honor of the most influential park planner and professional in that country. In 1993 that organization presented Roger the Sato Prize Award which was the first time it was awarded. To this date he is still the only non-Japanese to be honored with the award.

Throughout his career, his very successful management style included his strong belief that it was important to give the staff as much ownership of the department’s programs and facilities as he had. When the department received recognition in the form of some award, he always made sure the city manager, mayor, council, and the department’s advisory board were made aware of it. In so doing he also included the names of key staff members involved. When appropriate, such as a special recognition for the Landscape Maintenance Division by the Chamber of Commerce on the way the city streets and boulevards were landscaped and maintained, he always made a point to go by that Division in the early morning before they left on assignments for the day and tell them what that kind of recognition does, not only for their Division, but for the whole department and city in general. Other examples include whenever a new policy proposal to the advisory board was presented, he had a division head present the proposal and answer the board’s questions. He would introduce the topic and then call upon the division head for the more in-depth presentation. This gave them ownership and experience at a higher level. If it needed to go to the city council for approval, the city manager expected Roger to handle it. Sometimes he asked the division head to join him at the council meeting so that they would see how things were handled at that level. One more thing about leading by example: When he was on a tour of a park with staff and saw litter, he picked it up and carried it with him until he reached a trash receptacle. He never made reference to it, but just let them know their Director was not above picking up trash. These are good examples for inspiring administrators in the field.

When asked about his feelings regarding his career, Roger noted the successes he had with IFPRA as indicated above. He also talked about his time with NRPA and will always treasure his time as President. Of course, his experience with the departments in several cities are all important, but his achievements at Greensboro stand out. Then he notes that after retiring from Greensboro, the thrill of starting the new North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District from scratch were equally rewarding. When he started, he was the only employee. He developed that department with six staff members and eight parks within the first six months. Acquiring land for parks, building an aquatic park, and attending various neighborhood community meetings were very energizing.

Since retiring in 1997, Roger and Faye have enjoyed their retirement years while visiting children and grandchildren, volunteering in their church,  civic organizations, other local community activities, and long walks together. Roger also enjoys golf, working in the yard, and reading. However, at the top of his list he  put cooking. In retirement he asked Kaye if he could do some of the cooking. When she said yes, he jumped in all the way. He now does about 95% of the cooking in the household and does virtually all the grocery shopping. This has become one of his most favorite things to do. 

Roger K. Brown is an outstanding example of a well-rounded professional and personal “life being well lived”. It is no wonder that the Academy named him as a Legend in Parks and Recreation. Roger K. Brown richly deserves, and has earned, the Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal. [current as of 11/2012]

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Dr. Ted Cable
Over his long career, Dr. Ted Cable has authored 15 books and more than 250 articles impacting the field of parks, recreation, and tourism, and has received numerous awards for teaching, advising, mentorship and scholarly activities. His reputation is far-reaching, and his services are sought by 20 different countries to assist in natural and cultural interpretive planning. He helped countless domestic entities in developing interpretive plans or interpretive signage, and widely consulted on interpretive and educational materials on cultural and natural resources. During his 35+ years at Kansas State University, he taught thousands of students in interpretive methods and inspired many to seek ways to protect our irreplaceable natural and cultural heritage. Dr. Cable's passion, enthusiasm, deep wealth of knowledge, and perhaps most importantly, his jovial and fun-loving approach to education, has made a profound impact on our profession. His life experiences and vast knowledge of cultural and natural interpretation can benefit all those now practicing in our profession, and more importantly, can influence and educate innumerable future interpreters.

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Reynold Carlson

Against the background of the Indiana University 2300 acre Bradford Woods Outdoor Recreation Laboratory, Carlson relates the history of the project and the cooperation of University and private funding which developed the property. Site for five resident camps, school camping programs, American Camping Association National , and learning center for college students, Bradford Woods was made possible by Carlson's vision and dedication.

Carlson traces his early career with YMCA, the National Park Service, the National Recreation Association and finally to his years as the second faculty member and finally Chair of the I. U. Dept. He tells of the early interpretive naturalist field schools and the influence of Dr. Bryant, the challenges of post World War II years in fielding a curriculum with many G.I. Bill students and only two faculty. He recounts his role in the birth of the Association for Interpretive Naturalists, his work with the Forest Service and the Land and Water Conservation projects.

As a recipient of top teaching awards, Carlson comments on the qualities of a good teacher, including respect for those one teaches; scribes his philosophy of leisure in the context of present environmental and human challenges in an urbanized society. As a world leader in environmental education, he lists progress that has been made and problems still remaining. His retirement finds him still busy serving the outdoor recreation needs of individuals from first graders to senior citizens.

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Joe Caverly
During his youth he was asthmatic, he went out for football in high school at 116 pounds. He made the team and was captain his senior year. His desire was to be a football coach. He went to college on an athletic scholarship.

He joined the Navy during World War II where he was assigned to an underwater demolition team training to invade Japan. However the atomic was dropped and he was released from the Navy and he went to Southern California University. He still wanted to be a coach. When he graduated there were few jobs available in coaching so he took a job in recreation. He had very few courses in recreation and said it is not necessary to have a Masters in Recreation to be successful. You need the right instincts and the right methods.

Recreation was just starting to grow at the time he entered the field. He decided that recreation not coaching was the area he would be in. He took a special course in recreation at NYU and he attended park and recreation conferences. At each conference he visited playgrounds and recreation facilities in the city where the conference was held.

In one of his early jobs he got involved in politics. The ward leader had been appointing the recreation leader in their ward. He fought to be able to hire the most qualified people.

In San Francisco he did not have problems with politics. San Francisco had a problem of leadership at the upper levels when he was hired. It was a challenge. He said when you get set backs it is a challenge. He was able to get a study of the Parks and Recreation Department which set the standards for department operation.

He feels that recreation professionals need to get involved in the community. In San Francisco he formed the “Friends of Park and Recreation.” They support the department including working to get a bond issue passed.

Changes he sees in Parks and Recreation are involvement in conservation and historical preservation. He feels that today the profession is getting better leadership. He also says we are facing new problems with gangs and drugs.

He says he would tell students that they need to develop skills and they should take a course in Political Science to have some knowledge of the political process and they must develop an interest in the community, and the history of the community. They must also have problem solving skills.

He talks about people who influenced him and he works to the future. He said Parks and Recreation professionals must have a greater interest in the community and they must have more community and political involvement in the community. Today’s public is demanding.

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James "Jim" Andrew Colley (1933-2003) lived a special calling for a loving family, a stewardship for public parks, and a life-long commitment to an improved quality of life for Phoenix neighborhoods and citizens of all ages. Jim served the City of Phoenix as a public servant and directed a quarter century of parks, mountain and desert preserves and recreation programs for citizens of all ages. Jim's life in many ways mirrored the lives of every young man who grew up in a small rural community and matured into a leader of urban America in Alabama, Georgia, Virginia and Arizona. His commitment to the importance of nurturing young people to grow and develop into successful citizens became a national model, copied by cities across America. His contribution to Phoenix's quality of life is unequaled.

A born and bred farm boy, Jim grew up in rural Alabama and learned the values of hard work and love of family and community. Jim served his country as a Marine and was ready with orders to go to Korea just when the armistice was signed. Following his Honorable Discharge, Jim knew the importance of education and received a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1959. Aspiring to be a "coach" Jim saw early in life the value of 4H, sports and recreation in order to keep kids out of trouble. Starting as a "one man department" in Alabama, Jim started a professional career spanning 40 years of devotion to public parks and recreation. After achieving a Master's Degree from the University of Georgia, Jim began a fast-paced career working for the Georgia Park and Recreation Society, the Norfolk, Virginia Parks and Recreation Department and finally, in 1979, as the newly appointed Director for the City of Phoenix Parks, Recreation and Library Department. Jim retired from Phoenix in October 2001.

Jim's achievements in public parks and recreation are highly chronicled at the national level. Jim earned just about every national recognition and award bestowed by the National Parks and Recreation Association including the Distinguished Service, Meritorious Service Awards and Life Trustee. Jim also received the Pugsley Award for service to conservation and the environment. Jim Colley was named President of several professional associations including the National Parks and Recreation Association, the Virginia Parks and Recreation Association, the Georgia Parks and Recreation Society, the American Academy for Parks and Recreation Administration. The Arizona Parks and Recreation Association named Jim a "Legend". Through Jim's leadership, the City of Phoenix was twice awarded the National Gold Medal by the National Sports Foundation.

But it was in Phoenix, where Jim's legacy truly leaves its mark for generations of Phoenicians to come. Through Jim's dynamic leadership and support, the City of Phoenix parks system grew into one of the leading examples in the Nation. A devoted community supporting the creation of a Mountain Park Preserve system greeted Jim in 1979. From this time forward, Phoenix has added mountain and desert parks totaling more than 30,000 acres. More than 3,000 acres of what Jim liked to call in that unique southern drawl, "flatland parks" developed during his tenure. Add dozens of new parks, swimming pools, recreation centers, libraries, museums, bike trails, golf courses and special park facilities, and you get a wonderful feeling for Jim's fingerprints in Phoenix. Jim wasn't just a facility person, He loved and cared for people; and people meant programs: lots of programs. Major special events in downtown Phoenix including the Fabulous Phoenix 4th of July, the Electric Light Parade, and Sunday on Central, were nurtured and developed during Jim's leadership. Jim had an extra special devotion to kids of all abilities, disabilities, backgrounds and skills. River Rampage, X-TATTOO removal and Clear Path are programs that reach out to children of all abilities and backgrounds. Where many cities in the country said "no" to the innovative and risky programs, Jim said to his devoted staff, "Show me a way." A major highlight of Jim's career was the naming and dedication of Camp Colley, an outdoor wilderness camp for children and families in northern Arizona. This Camp not only bears his name, but his loving family asks that donations be made to support this wonderful adventure camp for Phoenix kids and families. Jim responded to the crisis in juvenile crime and fostered the nation's largest after school program, Phoenix Activity City or PAC, for short. More than 160 schools, parks and churches are current PAC sites. No wonder juvenile crime statistics between 3 and 6 P.M. was drastically reduced in Phoenix.

For these achievements and many more, Jim was recognized with the prestigious Visionary Award for Valley Leadership. It is often stated that immortality is left in the memories of those of us who have been touched by the greatness of human achievement. Jim Colley touched our hearts, our lives and our feelings in fantastic ways. 

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Robert Crawford

The video recounts 50 years of professional service and leadership in parks and recreation by Mr. Crawford, including a 1980 Baseball World Series Gold Ring presented to him by the Philadelphia Phillies for his support to Philadelphia athletics/recreation facilities and programs.

Education and Early Years

A high school teacher and coach in DesMoines, Iowa, Mr. Crawford worked summers on neighborhood playgrounds. Invited to attend the National Recreation School in New York, Mr. Crawford became acquainted with the professional field of recreation and felt challenged by the need and opportunities to impact people's lives.

Subsequently, as Director of Hastings on the Hudson, a small community in New York, Mr. Crawford developed his administrative skills in this one-person department. Drafted into the Navy during World War II, Mr. Crawford served as a health and welfare officer in the Pacific Ocean Seventh Fleet.

A Legendary Career

After the war, Mr. Crawford served for six years as Superintendent of Recreation in Oakland, California, and was recruited to Philadelphia and “groomed” to become Commissioner of Recreation, which occurred in 1958. Working for five mayors over the years, Mr. Crawford positioned Philadelphia Park and Recreation Services as foremost in America, excelling in athletic facilities, cultural venues, park beautification and historical preservation. A trademark of Crawford's tenure was the development and effective utilization of citizen advisory councils at the neighborhood and citywide level.

Professionally, under Mr. Crawford's leadership, the National Recreation Association introduced the national internship program that provided a one year, field training program for America's outstanding university students. The Philadelphia Recreation Commission typically hosted four interns a year and correspondingly, contributed significantly to the personnel leadership of the park and recreation field during the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Philosophy and Vision, Professional Career, and National Leadership

Mr. Crawford's passion was to provide opportunity for each citizen to realize self-fulfillment, respect and personal identity through leisure services. “Human nature is the same for all, and leisure is important to the life of people. The park and recreation profession is a great opportunity for young people.” Mr. Crawford shares several personal stories of gratitude regarding his 50-year career, depicting a competent professional with human caring and understanding.

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John Crompton was born and raised in England. He attended Loughborough College which was a small but prestigious college with a major focus on sports. He received a teaching certificate and taught for a year. He then went to University of Illinois where he received a Masters Degree in Parks and Recreation. He then went back to England where he obtained a British Masters Degree in Parks and Recreation.

John and two others started a business of consulting on recreation and tourism. When he left the business there were 25 full-time employees. He came back to the U.S. in 1974 to spend a year at Texas A & M and he is still there. He received his PHD at Texas A & M. He used his marketing experience and knowledge to work with park and recreation professionals and agencies. Marketing was new to the profession and not understood. He says marketing is about delivery of benefits to people.

Dr. Crompton says “I am what I am” because of early days as a youth. “My days were spent in sports.” Sports was his whole life, it molded his character. He has been a runner all of his life and he ran in marathons but today he walks. He walks in long walking events. He says periodically you need to find out who you are and he does it in his running and walking. He says people find out who they are by their leisure pursuits.

Dr. Crompton advises young people in the field today to have enthusiasm. Without enthusiasm nothing happens. Without it you shouldn’t get into the field. He describes the Pugsley Award and some of the people who have been awarded the Pugsley Award. One of the joys of working in this field is that you get to work with passionate people. He says not everyone uses the parks but parks provide for the public good. We can’t just say that parks provide for clean water and clean air. We must use the economic value of parks. He believes that the public support of parks has been at an all-time high in recent years. Money is pouring into parks. Recreation is not doing so good because other agencies are slicing into recreation. The private sector has taken hold of physical fitness for example. The small communities are doing well but the larger cities have problems. Recreation is not serving the middle class.

Dr. Crompton says that diversity has made its way in the part-time staff but you don’t see it carried on at the university level. He says that in the future he wants to be able to move the field forward by his writing. He says that being in this field gives you a sense of privilege to serve people. This field is a noble profession you have to make a difference in people’s lives.

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Ralph Cryder, Penn State University graduate, shares his early years in the recreation profession, beginning in New York and moving to Pennsylvania, and 12 years in New Castle, Delaware. He served as the Director of Parks and Recreation for Los Angeles County for 10 years and retired from Long Beach in 2000.

Ralph talks about the development of a major marine project on the Long Beach waterfront from a recreational perspective. This project was a part of a well thought out plan transforming a petroleum-military waterfront to a recreation-destination tourism focused waterfront. This project is an excellent example of partnership and collaboration with a local government.

Mr. Cryder provides some on-the-job learnings for young professionals in the field:

• Customer Service is #1
• Advance planning is vital to successful operations
• Resource development is critical to success in an era of shrinking government funding.
• Understand that politics are different than being political in a political environment
• The Benefits of Parks and Recreation are endless

Ralph closed his interview with some thoughts about the future of Parks and Recreation

• Increased use of volunteers
• Youth are the focus of our efforts
• Network with the private sector
• Learn to manage with declining government financial resources
• Expect and manage increased participation

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Joe Curtis was looking for a career after serving in World War II. After trying a variety of jobs, a friend suggested he try recreation, so he got a masters degree in recreation from NYU through the GI Bill. He had been a playground director in New York City while he was an undergraduate and had also worked at the Bronx Zoo, so he had some idea of what the field was about. His career took him from NYC to Baltimore, White Plains, Boston, and New Rochelle. He was mentored by JB Nash, Joe Prendergast, Woody Sutherland, and George Butler. He acknowledges the importance of recreation in helping people to identify with and develop an affinity for their communities. His major career accomplishments included being creative in finding money through building partnerships. He shares perspectives on the changing family structure and the changing ethnicity in the cities. He advises young professionals to take on tough jobs: go to the cities with real problems and make a contribution-study and work hard. This is a story of a man who worked extra hard to prove himself, and who did just that while making a tremendous contribution everywhere he went.

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For more than four decades, Pete Dangermond has worked diligently in acquiring and protecting land for park systems, land trusts, state conservancies, and various governmental jurisdictions through purchases, conservation easements, and dedications. Although Pete did not set an objective of being a conservation icon, his actions and practices have made him one of the most recognized leaders in the field. Pete's love of the natural environment is embedded in his soul and can best be observed in his tenacity and passion towards environmental protection. His intense work ethic, deep interest in public use of conserved land, non-aggressive negotiating style, strategic thinking and tactical actions, and visionary approach to conservation have led to the protection of over 150,000 acres of land and provide testament to his hard work, good planning, and passion for resource preservation.

In 1961, Pete began his career in southern California as a planner for San Bernardino County where he learned that success results from having an achievable vision, a good plan and a committed work ethic. As a young man, he met and worked with local, passionate conservationists, which resulted in the creation of his profound environmental ethic and aspiration to conserve and protect historic and natural lands. He became personally committed to protecting land. In 1965, Pete was transferred to the budding regional park department where he became Deputy in charge of acquisition and planning. During his tenure, he created a regional park master plan that was adopted and implemented by the Board of Supervisors. The plan was based on the earlier "white paper" that Pete wrote documenting the lack of parks in the county of San Bernardino, and the importance of protecting natural resources. The master plan was significant in many ways. Most importantly, it molded Pete's understanding of how vision-based planning can be utilized to convince community constituents and decision makers to act in realizing their dreams.

Pete also recognized that virtually everything in the natural environment is connected together, including people and politics. In a short four year period, Pete helped acquire and establish eight regional parks totaling approximately 8,500 acres. In 1969, Pete was recognized for his leadership qualities by being appointed as the Director of Riverside County Park and Recreation Department.

Pete's vision for the Riverside County Park system was to expand and protect the critical natural resources that were being impacted by development. He knew his success could only be achieved by preserving the most unique resources in a county of many natural wonders. He also knew that success would be a result of engaging the park supporters and conservationists in the fourth largest county in the nation. When he arrived at Riverside, the Parks Department consisted of six parks approximating about 1500 acres. Pete's goal was to create a park system that encompassed all the major biotic life zones in the county and establish regional parks and trails that rivaled the best park systems in the state. After nine years as Director, he had accomplished much of his goal by establishing major parks in virtually every biotic community in this richly diverse county. In fact, he created one of the leading regional park systems in California consisting in over 22,000 acres of park land. Pete became a regional park icon and led the profession in creative acquisition techniques, imaginative regional park design, and revenue generation through concessions, leases, partnerships, and fees.

Pete's vision for a self-sufficient parks agency came during a cyclic recession in our country which resulted in the potential bankruptcy of New York City. The prevailing thought of the time was a never-ending stream of money in public entities to finance parks but the New York City dilemma brought home the reality that public funding was not infinite. Pete understood that park leaders also needed to be responsible stewards of money as well as their park resources. Consequently, he devised a self-sufficiency strategy for Riverside County Parks and created what he termed the "Target Zero" plan. This plan's intent was to enhance eight of the county’s park units that would both create private enterprise jobs, and make the park system self- supporting and provide needed public services. The plan laid out strategies for revenue generation through gate fees, park events, revenue generating facilities and concessions and leases. At the same time, it provided uniquely designed destination parks that offered family recreation and educational programming to help instill an environmental. Just after the commencement of "Target Zero" effort, in 1978, Pete left Riverside County to become the Director of the Monterey County Park Department. Shortly thereafter, Proposition 13 was approved by the California electorate which changed the future of public services in California and eventually across the nation.

Self-sufficiency became an important focus of park systems throughout California after Proposition 13 was passed by the electorate. Government budgets were drastically reduced and park systems, being discretionary, were hard hit. Yet, one organization prevailed because of a self-supporting direction established by Pete. His vision was simple:

• stabilize growth of the system unless new facilities could generate sufficient income to cover costs;
• redesign existing park units to allow generation of  fees and charges to help cover cost;
• establish major revenue generating facilities such as race tracks and major regional destinations; and
• create an enterprise fund for parks to allow revenue generators to help cover costs for facilities that are not capable of generating significant revenue. 

Pete's revenue model, or at least parts of it, was adopted by many agencies in California as a way to weather the budget reduction storm. Even today (2012), with this prolonged recession, parts of Pete's model are in effect and being applied throughout the nation. Pete was one of the early pioneers in applying this model in the nation during his tenure with Riverside and Monterey Counties, California. Incidentally, Monterey County Parks Department is 96% self-sufficient and has chosen to never achieve the 100% goal for political reasons.

In 1980, Governor Jerry Brown, chose Pete to be California State Park Director. Although Pete's term as State Park Director was brief, he applied the revenue generating approach to that system. California State Park and Recreation Department is the second largest park system in the nation, only following the National Park System. Creating change in a large, bureaucratic system is not easy, but Pete made significant effort to make the Department self-supporting. His endeavor saw a revenue increase in the system from $14.9 million to $29.0 million in two and one-half years. He also saw the value in expanding volunteer service to the Department and helped create 75 not-for profit support associations to not only provide interpretive and educational programs but to build and staff gift shops and stores.
 
During his tenure, Pete promoted the establishment of state parks in urban areas which was a major departure from previous policy. One of those parks was Chino Hills State Park, a major state park in Orange County, California. When creating the master plan for the San Bernardino County Park system, Pete saw the obvious north-south imbalance of state parks in California. Not only were there few state parks in the southern part of the state, the majority of people lived in the south and they could influence future elections. Pete became aware that a balanced system met recreation need, preserved unique historic and natural resources, offered park opportunities throughout the state, and were adequately funded to ensure financial sustainability. He also realized that a park system is sustained because of citizen involvement. But, with the change in Governor, and political party in California, Pete left government 22 years after his career began and established his own consulting firm, The Dangermond Group.

After being involved in publicly-funded park systems for several decades, Pete found it a challenge to transition into the private consulting world. The change from working for others to being on his own required a new line of thinking and new reality of what one can do and for whom. The biggest paradigm shift came from the recognition that, as a consultant, one is no longer trying to accomplish his own vision but helping others to fulfill their vision. Additionally, patience was required to respond to the demands and schedules of his clients rather than those of his own. But, his public sector experience ended up working to Pete's advantage. He was able to broaden his scope of work and concentrate on projects that had meaning, but to a different group of clients. His new clients believed in land conservation and protection, environmental enhancement, and land design that encompass good planning and development. Pete's resume cites numerous projects over the years and those that are highlighted include the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Riverside Land Conservancy, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and the cities of Riverside, Galt, Stockton, and Redlands, and Counties of Inyo and El Dorado. Projects that Pete accomplished for the Riverside Land Conservancy are significant as they involved land acquisition. 

During his career, Pete either protected or acquired over 150,000 acres of land. His involvement with the Land Conservancies has led to protection of thousands of acres Desert Mountains. Specific projects include the preservation of much of the natural portions of the Santa Ana River in southern California, protection of Mystic Lake, a large vernal pool in northern Riverside County, preservation of the Santa Rosa Plateau, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy protection of the Indian Canyon Palm Oases near Palm Springs, California, and much more. He is currently working on the acquisition of Vail Lake in south western Riverside County. That 20,000-acre acquisition is not included in the 150,000 acres that were acquired or protected under Pete’s leadership.

Pete is truly an environmental leader. Currently, he is President of the Save-the-Redwoods League, an organization that helped establish the California State Park system, and is a protector of old-growth redwoods. Pete has successfully advocated for a new League position by which it will assist the state park system to keep open three of the redwood parks listed among the 70 parks slated for closure in July 2012. He is leading workshops to stimulate local citizens to become engaged in state parks near their homes and create organizations that can be supported by Save-the Redwoods League. Pete has also led the League in a State Park Resources Assessment that looks for efficiencies in the park system and a task force to determine how to keep state parks financially solvent. Pete's leadership directed the League in working with the California State Parks Foundation to establish a voter initiative to fund the state park system. He also guided the League Board of Directors to pledge $2 million to the initiative campaign. During Pete's term as Save-the-Redwood League President, he has steered the Board of Directors towards land acquisition, support of the State Park system by advocating for financial solvency while maintaining the systems high reputation, and expanding the League's membership base and fund-raising effort.

Pete and his wife Joan have been married for more than 50 years. They enjoy a rich family life with their five children and six grandchildren. His immigrant parents who came from Holland and settled in Redlands, California, gave Pete a "work ethic and dedication to family that has been his life model and inspiration."

This year, the Academy also named Pete a Parks and Recreation Legend for his outstanding contributions to the profession. Pete Dangermond is a park and recreation "icon," and his legacy will be the role he has played in the park and conservation movement of California and the nation. Undoubtedly, he has earned and deserves the Cornelius Amory Pugsley Medal bestowed by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. [current as of 11/2012]

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John Davis traces his professional life from South Carolina to Washington, D.C. with an apparent enthusiasm for the work and the people he served. He describes his earliest brush with his future field when, as an 11 year old, he organized the neighborhood kids for sawdust pile play, creek swimming, or ball games in a small South Carolina community which had no Recreation Department.

Davis talks of his mentors, both lay and professional, and emphasizes the importance of a clear philosophical base which the professional must first believe and then articulate--recreation as both a preventive and a rehabilitative tool.

Davis enumerates the changes which impacted parks and recreation after World War II; the return of the servicemen; the Civil Rights Act; the merger of parks and recreation at local, state and national levels. He speaks of the highlights of his career --the opportunities to affect the quality of life for young people, roles with the Georgia Recreation Commission and the Georgia penal system.

He urges young professionals to look at the broad spectrum from present gang issues to cultural differences and to promote the value of recreation as a social change agent.

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Theodore Deppe

Ted Deppe traces his professional career from Wisconsin city recreation departments to a 36 year tenure in the Indiana University Department of Recreation and Park Administration as a doctoral student, professor and Chair. He relates the early challenges of finding true recreation curriculums and the influence of mentors like Howard Danforth, Lebert Weir, Garrett Eppley and Rey Carlson.

Deppe talks of the changes in the 1940's and 1950's as recreation programs and curriculums gained acceptance. He comments on the evolution of courses of study from general to specialization and cites the need for and the success of the accreditation movement.

The origin and development of several Indiana University Department functions which fostered close relationships with practitioners are discussed: Great Lakes Park Training Institute, the Executive Development Program, Bradford Woods Outdoor Education Area, the campus Hilltop Garden Center, and the unique dual partnership with the Purdue School of Architecture to sponsor a field liaison(Peterson) with the 92 Indiana counties.

Deppe advises students and young professionals to get involved in professional organizations, describes his own work with local, state, and national agencies and emphasizes the rewards in viewing the success of former students who now provide leadership.

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Pauline des Granges reminisces about her early academic and practical experience which prepared her for her 36 plus years in San Diego. She comments on the shortage of opportunities for women in the early years and the broadening of recreation programs and facilities resulting from the Works Progress Administration influences in the depression of the 1930's. She describes the 1939 World's Fair as the first to focus importance on recreation.

She documents the development of the San Diego Department as housing projects during World War II brought need for and expansion of services. She describes the cooperative funding for the building of the Mission Bay area from swamp to the first city park to permit commercial organizations to build on city property. Des Granges details the effect of and reaction to California's Proposition 13 which cut property taxes by 50 per cent and decreased most park budgets by a like percentage.

Her philosophies of budgeting and of fundraising are reviewed. A successful woman administrator in a primarily male-dominated profession during her tenure, she talks of the qualities of a good administrator, the aims of the profession, the need for effective professional preparation, and most importantly, the need for park and recreation professionals to believe in the worth of what they do.

She recounts her role in the birth of the California Recreation Society(1950), the California Personnel and Certification Standards, and the Southwest Recreation Resources Institute, and comments on the role of the early National Recreation Association in California. In retirement, she is still heavily involved in recreation concerns at both local and state levels.

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Russell Dickenson

Dickenson's professional career spanned responsibilities from park ranger to five years as Director of the National Park Service under four different Secretaries of the Interior. He enumerates "keys" to successful management of park resources with a heavy emphasis on "on site" interpretive programs and development of support through community and organizational contacts. He comments on the changing ownership of park concessions and the relationship to park objectives.

Dickenson gives insights into the public and political personnel associated with the history of the Alaskan park projects which he describes as "the longest running conservation triumph of the Twentieth Century." He also outlines the working interrelationships between the Park Service and the Secretaries(Interior).

He discusses the qualities needed for an effective administrator with an emphasis on the building blocks of practical experience. The present challenges of the Park Service include the need for better environmental education and better public support for long term protection against forces which detract from National Park values.

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Charles Doell

Ninety-year old Charles Doell reviews his 49 years of service with the Minneapolis Department on the 100th anniversary of its inception. Doell recounts the improvements made under the leadership of Theodore Wirth(1906-1930's), land acquisition strategies, development of the unique Grand Round Parkway which girds the city, and the addition of the lakefront properties. He discusses his own stewardship role in the enabling legislation and the planning of the Hennepin County Park Reserves and the early park-school cooperation in facilities and programs.

Doell gives his insight into the personalities of his former bosses, Wirth and Chris Boston, and discusses the basis for good cooperation between policy making and administrative bodies. A charter member of the Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, Doell's contributions to the field are found in his consultant service to the National Park Service, his teaching at Michigan State and Texas Tech Universities, and his text on park and recreation administration. He speaks of the satisfaction gleaned from his ”work with the public,” and predicts a solid future for parks and recreation.

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Richard Dolesh is an experienced parks and recreation professional with nearly five decades of dedicated service. Throughout his career, he has held various positions that have allowed him to positively impact parks and recreation organizations across the United States. He served as the Chief of the Natural Resources Division for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC), where he was responsible for managing a wide range of natural and cultural resource programs.

In addition to his work at the MNCPPC, Richard has also served as the Director of Conservation and Parks for the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). In this role, he led the organization's efforts to promote and protect parks and open spaces at the national level. He played a key role in advocating for increased funding for parks and recreation as well as the development of policies and initiatives that support the field.

Richard's expertise extends beyond his professional experience. He is a prolific writer and speaker, sharing his knowledge and insights with others in the industry. He has authored numerous articles and publications on parks and recreation management, conservation, and environmental stewardship.

In recognition of his contributions, Richard has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his career. He has been honored with the NRPA's prestigious National Distinguished Professional Award as well as the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration's Fellow Award.

Richard Dolesh's passion for parks and recreation is evident in everything he does. His dedication to the field, combined with his expertise and leadership, has made him a respected figure in the industry. Through his work, he has played a significant role in advancing the parks and recreation profession and ensuring that communities have access to quality outdoor spaces for generations to come.

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Joe Doud speaks humbly about his contributions to the Northbrook, Illinois community, where he spent the majority of his career after starting out in Bettendorf, Iowa, following graduation from the University of Iowa. He came to Northbrook when it was the fastest growing city in the Chicago area, so he experienced challenges due to the cost of purchasing park land. He speaks not only of the successes of the park district in growing parks from 82 acres to 500+ acres, but also shares the development of cutting edge programs such as an ice rink that ran 24/7, a community and children’s theater program, extended hours for swimming pools, a golf course with a miniature golf alongside, as well as a two story driving range built through a partnership. Under his administration, Northbrook was a leader in fee for service and revenue producing programs and guaranteed quality of service, offering a money back guarantee. He also illustrates the importance of cultural diversity through describing an exchange program with inner city Chicago youth. He emphasizes the importance of providing park commissioners with adequate orientation, the significance of the relationship of the Executive Director and the commissioners, and the value of involving commissioners at the state, regional, and national levels.

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Newton Drury shares his rich experience as National Park Service (NPS) Director from 1940-1951. He speaks first hand about pioneers in parks, recreation and conservation such as Stephen Mather, Horace Albright, and Frederick Law Olmstead. He tells, very matter of factly, about conversations with Franklin Delano Roosevelt related to the President’s Hyde Park home and the development of Camp David as a Presidential retreat. He shares a wealth of information about the establishment of Jackson Hole National Monument that went on to become part of Grand Teton National Park. He is very candid about the impact of WWII and decisions of Congress on the health of the national park system. Mr. Drury shares his perspectives about various management practices in the national parks. He was instrumental in the early days of the Save the Redwoods League in California and speaks about that organization and its role in the development of the California state parks system and the inclusion of redwoods in the national park system. His very candid and sometimes humorous accounts of experiences are enlightening and thought provoking. He shares some photos taken during his time as NPS Director, including one at the dedication of the restored McLean House in Appomattox, where the treaty was signed to end the Civil War. This is a must watch for those interested in the history of the National Park Service.

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Charles Eatherly Currently Executive Consultant at Arizona State Parks (ASP), Charles Eatherly has been a devoted public servant for 54 years. He has been teaching, collaborating and leading in the field of Parks and Recreation since 1961. Forty-four years of his career have been spent at Arizona State Parks. In his career, Charles has brought robust public participation into the planning process of park systems in different jurisdictions and locations. He has also worked as a valued member of many teams and programs that resulted in the expansion of recreation opportunities available in states across the country. In fact, during discussion about his participation in these projects, he always starts with “I was part of the team that…..” Because Charles Eatherly is a contributing team member, one will find him focusing more on accomplishing outcomes rather than amassing personal credit. Charles’ optimism and commitment is infectious. He demonstrates the highest level of active listening skills and regularly puts others’ recognition before his own and has been able to build a rich and varied network in the field. This network has oftentimes allowed projects to move forward that may not have otherwise. In advancing ASP’s mission he continues to take great effort in encouraging and advancing the professional development of his fellow employees, and continues to faithfully serve the myriad of human and natural resource communities that make Arizona shine. He is an untiring keeper of institutional knowledge for an agency that has undergone rapid change from the beginning of the recession in 2008 to the present. His care, concern and enthusiasm for the system that he has helped to build has never waivered.

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Garrett Eppley grew up in northern Indiana, beginning his career as a teacher of history and math, eventually becoming a principal. He took courses through the National Recreation Association in Chicago, and was named state director of recreation for Indiana. Garrett was known for his work with the USO and community and school recreation programs during the Great Depression. He credits his strong mentors in the field with his involvement in the field, resulting in his work with the National Park Service.

Garrett Eppley spent over 25 years at Indiana University as both a faculty member and department chair in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration, where he is now Professor Emeritus. He is particularly known for his broad-based approach to creation of a highly respected program that related to many other departments in the university. Graduates were also receiving exposure to course work in writing for professional publications, marketing, government issues, the arts and speech.

Known for advancing the cause of increasing tax dollars for park districts based upon assessed valuation of properties, he is also recognized as being the catalyst behind the joint meetings between parks and recreation and legislative professionals. Development of programs and groups on both the state and national levels is also credited to him. He worked hard to create a level of understanding between parks and recreation professionals, promoting not only the beauty of the land, but its functional uses for programming as well. He used input from educators in the field whenever possible, often setting trend for other states to follow.

Initiating the Great Lakes Park Training Institute in 1947 also created a new focus for our field. Garrett especially believes in creating quality programs and developing quality personnel in order to benefit the communities in which they work. Both a trust fund and scholarship have been named after Garrett Eppley.

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Bob Espeseth was born and raised in northern Wisconsin where he developed his appreciation for natural resources through experiences hunting and fishing. He gravitated to Landscape Architecture at the University of Wisconsin in Madison and became a planner for the Wisconsin Conservation Department during the largest period of expansion in Wisconsin state parks history. He reveals challenges and concerns related to trail development and he speaks about designing campgrounds (“unitizing” campgrounds) in the early 1950s to provide both a better camping experience and minimize impacts on the resource. During his tenure, one of the first rails to trails conversions occurred as part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Greenways and Trails program. After his 12 years in Wisconsin, he moved on to Michigan where legislation had recently been passed establishing county park commissions, for which the Mott Foundation was very supportive. Bob was involved in the merger that created NRPA, as he was a member of both the National Conference on State Parks and the American Institute of Park Executives at the time. His career goals were to be a state parks director and to teach at a major university, so he was thrilled when he was recruited to the University of Illinois.

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DAVID FISHER
Interviewed by Richard Ash Executive Director
St. Charles Department of Park and Recreation, Missouri
David Fisher, interviewed in 2004, was serving as executive director of the Great River Greenway Park District, St. Louis, Missouri at the time of the interview. Previously, David was superintendent of parks and recreation for the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Earlv Years and Professional Career
David described, in passionate detail, his youthful experiences in west Texas in developing a love for desert life, passed on to him by his father, who David described as his “great hero.” By age ten, under his father's mentorship, David knew the names of most desert plants, wildlife, and minerals, enjoying the entire environment. Progressing to Texas Tech University intending to study mathematics, David describes his encounter with Dr. Urbanowski, chair o1 the department of park adrriinistration, who “recruited” David to become enrolled in the park administration curriculum. David recounts with fondness the impact which Dr. Urbanoivski had on his life and his developing career, and the importance of understanding why things are as they are. Following college graduation and two years of active duty in the U.S. Army, David accepted a position in 1968 as director of planning and operations for the Winnetka Park District in Illinois. learning the basics of park operations and community park planning. Subsequently, David was selected as operations planner for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Department, and in a New years became director of park operations for the large municipal department. I.earning all aspects of the department, Davicl was promoted to assistant superintendent, then at the age of 35, was named superintendent of Minneapolis Parks, a position that he held for 18 years, until retiring at the age of 54.

Professional Contributions
In reflecting upon professional contributions, David describes the importance which parks play in defining the quality of life for a community, outlining in detail the central riverfront project in Minneapolis, along the Mississippi River, of a 125 acre regional park investment of + $300 million \vhich leveraged in excess of $2 billion of private housing and commercial investment. The social- environmental-economic capital were aII interrelated and critical to achieving a sustainable community. Parks can play a lead role in initiating and sustaining community quality of life. During the interview, David discusses important aspects of the executive relationship with board and elected officials, describing the “no surprises” rule as well as the “majority wins” axiom.

Advice to Young Professionals
David's advice to young professionals includes being focused and determined, bein8 Ciwledgeable and willing to learn continuously, and to be courageous by being willing to take risks.

In concluding his interwew, David applied the above “words of wisdom” to himself in describing his current role as executive director of the Great Rivers Greenway Park District, a new open space system encompassing three counties within the St. Louis metropolitan area. Creation of the district, selection of administrative staff, financial sustainability and policy formulation are being given leadership by David, which he forecasts will become one of America's finest park and open space systems.

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Bob Frazer was the first academically trained Parks Director in San Antonio, as prior to that time, all department heads were elected commissioners. He was a saddle bronc rider in the rodeo until he met his wife and decided that he should find another occupation. His deep appreciation for nature and his desire to help people led him to parks and recreation through the landscape architecture program at Texas A&M. Attending college on the GI Bill after WWII, his goal was to become the chief executive of a large park system. After six years of teaching horticulture and gardening, he had the opportunity to work in San Antonio. Bob shares his perspectives on the importance of vision (e.g. how to develop a dilapidated riverwalk into a recreation and economic generator), the role of administrators in developing young people in the profession, the importance of the parks and recreation field to American society, and the roles and attitude essential for a successful P&R professional. This inspirational interview instills pride in the viewer and opens one’s thinking to a multitude of possibilities for facilities and programs.

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William Frederickson

Professional Career and National Leadership

Childhood experiences growing up on Hollywood Boulevard, playing games and athletics “in the streets” with neighborhood friends, established the foundation for a 45-year professional career in park and recreation for William Fredrickson. Culminating in distinguished service as General Manager of Park and Recreation for the City of Los Angeles, his early work experiences during the depression as a Junior Recreation Director developed leadership skills in music, drama, aquatics, art and athletics. With a degree in Economics from UCLA, Mr. Fredrickson served in the Navy during World War II and oversaw the construction of military recreation facilities at several naval bases. Returning to Los Angeles after the war, his municipal career grew in responsibility as he led successful bond issues for recreation services, helping develop regionally significant Griffith Park and large-scale flood control projects which integrated park, art and open space initiatives.

Facilitating tbe Creation of the NRPA

Mr. Frederickson cites the circumstances and effort to consolidate the National Recreation Association and the American Recreation Society into the National Recreation and Park Association and he recounts the “time is now” meeting which became a “turning point” in merger negotiations. Mr. Fredrickson shares his perspectives regarding the significance of the NRPA merger and how it has benefited the profession.

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Ray Freeman brings alive the history of the National Park Service (NPS) as it relates to both issues of society and issues of facing the national parks. He takes us from the establishment of Yellowstone as the first national park in 1872, the conversion of Yosemite from a state park to a national park, through John Muir's advocating for better care of resources, and the 1906 Antiquities Act that addressed the vandalism of natural resources to the establishment of the NPS in 1916. The chronological story highlights Stephen Mather as the one who really got the Park Service moving, including spending his own money promoting national parks, as well as various time periods and circumstances of growth of the system, such as the transfer of areas previously administered by the Army. Ray was on the team that researched and developed Director Connie Wirth’s Mission 66 program, designed to elevate the parks to modern standards of comfort and efficiency as well as an attempt to conserve natural resources. Mission 66 received approval from the president in January 1956. Ray also tells about concern for an urban population that has lost contact with the natural environment and their inability to handle themselves in this environment that is not entirely safe. He identifies issues in the national parks and possible solutions, including: campgrounds with the specific number of designated campsites, one way traffic and use of mini-buses, closing refuse dumps to deter bears, using private concessionaires, and even states that there may come a time when people will have to get advance reservations for campgrounds. He offers characteristics of successful young professionals coming out of college, including: mastery of the tools of the profession, sound philosophical concepts and appreciation of resources, ability to communicate in writing and speaking, and that he as to like people.

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Clifton French

Early Professional Years

Following World War II, Clif French made the career decision to enter the professional field of parks and recreation. Educational preparation included a BS degree (1948) from the University of Minnesota in Recreation Leadership; MS degree (1949) in Recreation Education from the University of Minnesota and subsequent course work for a PhD at the University of Minnesota.

Clif's career and employment history, in every instance, represented a “first time” position, that is, he was the first individual to hold newly created positions, including:

• Social Activities Director, - East Minneapolis Public Schools, Grades 5/6
• Recreation Instructor and Extension Specialist, - University of Minnesota
• Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Edina, Minnesota
• Superintendent, Hennepin County Park Reserve District

In 1967, Clif French was a member of the first class to complete the Revenue Resources Management school conducted by the University of North Carolina at Oglebay Park, Wheeling, West Virginia.

Professional Standards and Vision

As first Superintendent of the Hennepin County Park Reserve District (for 25+ years) several “founding principles” were utilized to establish the agency:

1. citizen activism, (over six [6] years), created the park district; needs of the citizen came first.
   
2. an independent park board, with a single focus/purpose devoted to park and recreation (as in the case of the park district) is often preferable over multi- functioned boards.
3. create tree park reserves, with 80 acres of the land left or restored to natural/native conditions, and no more than 209 acres utilized for active outdoor recreation activities/facilities<
4. duplication of local, municipal facilities (tennis, pools, athletic fields, etc.) is to be avoided.

A history of the Hennepin County Park Reserve District is outlined, including the organizational and governance changes that have occurred over the years. Also, a discussion of regional park and recreation planning is discussed, including the “pros and cons” of such a metropolitan regional approach, as it has evolved in the Twin Cities, seven (7) county area.

Clif describes his professional “working” philosophy to include:

• honor the constitution and bill of rights, especially “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The “pursuit of happiness” is pivotal for park and recreation services “so that people can enjoy their life better.”
• “parks are for people,” not as a trite phrase, but as a tangible philosophy to provide facilities and open space for present and future generations.
• provide quality facilities. People respond/support high quality design, operation and maintenance.
• utilization of volunteers to extend services and provide direct involvement of user groups.

As for the future, Clif sees a positive and bright forecast for the profession, attesting young staff to be flexible, technologically advanced and able to work in collaboration with others. Clif relates his own experiences, as a young professional, with mentors who inspired him, including Dr. G. B. Fitzgerald, (University of Minnesota), professors Dr. Charles Brightbill and Dr. Allen Sapora, and Charles Doell, Superintendent of the Minneapolis Park System.

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James R. Garges, CPRP, retired in 2017 from the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department in North Carolina. He has served as the Director of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, Cincinnati, Ohio (2001-2007); Director of Kettering Parks, in the Recreation and Cultural Arts Department, City of Kettering, Ohio (1986-2001); the Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation of Topeka, City of Topeka, Kansas (1985-86); Superintendent of Recreation, Parks and Recreation of Topeka, City of Topeka, Kansas (1983-85); and Director, Delaware Department of Parks and Recreation (1979-83). During his career, he has also served as an adjunct professor at Ohio Wesleyan University, Washburn University, University of Cincinnati and the University of Dayton.

While Jim was Director in Kettering, they received the Gold Medal Award, The National Excellence in Aquatic Award, and the NRPS Kudos Award as Best Overall Communicator. Kettering was the first accredited Park and Recreation Department in Ohio, and the Cincinnati Recreation Commission was also accredited while Jim was Director.

Jim has served as Chairman, State of Ohio Parks and Recreation Advisory Council (1997 to present); State of Ohio Recreation Resources Commission (1996 - present); NRPA Chairman National Issues and Action Committee (1998-00); Indiana University Executive Development School Board of Trustees (1997-00); and Chairman, National Recreation and Parks Association Great Lakes Regional Council (2000). He has also made numerous presentations to professional audiences.

He has received the Indiana University - Garret Eppley Distinguished Alumni Award (1998); National Recreation and Park Association - Great Lakes Professional of the Year (1994); and the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association - Outstanding Professional Leadership Award (1993).

Geoff Godbey

As one of four children, Geoff feels both his parents had a tremendous influence on his development. His father worked in higher education (Ph.D. from Harvard) and his mother was very active in the community. As the child of an educator, the family moved around quite a bit. He vividly remembers going to the YMCA and especially enjoyed the unstructured play he did as a child.

The start of his educational career was not stellar as he was expelled from the University of Delaware from failure to attend classes. His parents told him to go to work to support himself so Geoff worked in retail and he got a job on a playground in Delaware. He learned first-hand that a playground was a central element to the neighborhood and community.

With the assistance of numerous mentors along the way (Robert Crawford, Gold Metcalf, and Stan Parker), Geoff found his way back to college where he received his BS at SUNY Cortland, and MS and PhD at Penn State University. Geoff has stayed on at Penn State where he teaches today.

When asked about his principal accomplishments, Geoff replied “hanging with the right people.” He also credits his desire to employ an interdisciplinary approach to his writing, and teaching has allowed him to broaden his scope of inquiry. His philosophical base includes the concepts of freedom (choice) and discipline (control).

A prolific writer, Geoff has explored use of leisure time, defining leisure, rural, and urban issues. He noted the profession has shifted from its original roots of the social change model to a marketing model. Geoff feels this shift has caused the profession to ignore the “have not” cultures and the college curriculums do not address social issues or problems. He also notes that the college curriculums today do not address the environmental issues confronting the field. Professionals today must have strong listening skills as well as a general interest in people. He also feels the profession must improve its skills in processing and managing information.

For the future Geoff feels we need to be aware of (1) the repopulation of the world primarily by Asian and Hispanic cultures - what do they think about leisure and play; (2) there aren't neighborhoods anymore — how will we reorganize to customize services; and (3) the stability of communities is disappearing— how will we create a sense of place?

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David Gray takes us for a journey from the perspective of his three distinct career phases in parks and recreation: as a practitioner in the City of Los Angeles, an educator and administrator at California State University-Long Beach, and consultant to the not for profit sector including educational institutions and parks and recreation agencies. His career begins during the Depression of the 1930s and he is a practicing consultant at the time of his interview in 1992. Dr. Gray speaks thoughtfully and reflectively throughout the interview, sharing his perspectives on the events that impacted the development of fees for services as an essential component of delivery of recreation services. He challenges us to consider equity issues and the relevance of parks and recreation to addressing the social issues of our time. He asks us to reflect on if we are worthy of government support. He shares some of his thoughts that were developed into papers that were significant in the parks and recreation movement, including the concepts of transferring some of the costs of recreation services to users, recreation as a state of mind, and the elements of recreation that are uncovered through studying peak recreation experiences. He shares first hand experience of what was learned from the Watts riots in Los Angeles related to the needs of folks in that area and the relationship of recreation to helping to address the needs. His perspectives on changes in this field during his career help us to appreciate the richness that exists in the field and profession today.

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Mary Grogan shares her professionalism, history, and the unique opportunity she had to work for one agency for more than forty-one years, Modesto, California, Parks and Recreation Department. Mary was one of the first women Park and Recreation Administrators in California and the Nation, and had the unique opportunity to build department park resources and recreation programs that spanned for decades. Mary is past President of the California Park and Recreation Society and the National Recreation and Park Association, and she was a charter member of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration. This Legend tape articulates her leadership in successful land acquisition and park development and the growth of program services. Her philosophy of how to work with elected officials, and similarly, how to express the importance of every employee and the role they play in an organization are discussed.

She discusses key elements that make a successful public administrator such as vision and staff mentoring. Young professionals will benefit from her ideas regarding the importance of professional commitment and involvement with state organizations and the NRPA and the value of professional networking. Professional development and the value of certification are also discussed.

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Bob Hall began his work in the field as a maintenance worker in 1960 for the St. Louis area parks. Gradually he expanded his career with service in community centers, housing projects, pools, day camps and playgrounds. His efforts produced 14,000 young swimmers in the local Learn to Swim program, and 48 day camps. He also spent time as a recreation director in Kirkwood, Missouri. Bob views one of the greatest changes in parks and recreation to be the restructuring of NRPA in the 1970’s, expanding levels of service to professionals and the people they serve.

Mentoring and the importance of strong political relationships were emphasized throughout the video depicting the career of Bob Hall. Other things generating positive improvements include agency accreditation teams, ongoing continuing education, the certification program, international involvement and the ability of NRPA to affect legislation on a national level.

Bob Hall believes a good administrator is also a good listener, knows how to delegate responsibility and authority, and is one who demonstrates a willingness to let some things go in order to let employees work things out and learn as they build. In his later years he learned of the great importance of listening also to the citizens he served.

Eventually he became President Elect of the NPRA Board of Trustees/Great Lakes, and urges professionals in the field to learn to use the strengths of the neighborhoods and intergovernmental agreements in providing services. Referendums, bond issues, as well as political assistance and input are also important according to Bob.

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John "Pat" Harden

Pat said he grew up on the playgrounds of Georgia. He got into the Coast Guard where he was put in charge of intramural athletics. He said this was the same as recreation in the 1950s. He enjoyed doing this so he went back to school to obtain a Masters degree in Parks and Recreation at the University of Minnesota.

Pat spent two years with the Boston Patriots and then went to the New London sub base as Athletics Director. He then became Recreation Director at the Charleston Naval Base. He then became head of recreation management for the Navy. He promoted actual recreation training for his staff. He also worked for recreation internships for students. These interns were sent all around the world. Each intern was given at least two types of experiences.

Pat said that recreation in the Navy started with sailing ships. The ships’ galley was on the first level and where cooking grease ran down into the void between decks. When the ship went to dock, the ship’s staff would all collect the grease and sell it to candle makers. They would use the money to buy instruments and recreation items and that is where the term “slush fund” came from. Pat talked about Moral, Welfare and Recreation Service and about the services of the USO and Red Cross. The service personnel are warriors they have to fight wars. MWR has to provide some benefit to the organization.

In military organizations you are playing for your organization. It requires teamwork. For public recreation your are not playing for your organization but more likely for a sponsor.

Pat talks about Charles Brightbill who did a study that led to the organization of recreation in the military. He talked about warrior games where everyone is involved and they are not concerned with the score. Teamwork was the key.

Pat reviews the MWR and suggests the best way to build a career: 1. Get an internship
2. Get a job in the Armed Forces
a. Take courses specific to the job
b. As you move up the ladder write it up and build your portfolio
3. After you have been in the field for 10 years go after a masters degree

Pat said the biggest influence was his first boss. He told Pat that every time you spend a dollar how is it affecting the Blue Jacket (people involved in the program.)

In giving advice to young people entering the field the future of recreation is bright but you need to be business people, be able to manage volunteers, become a safety inspector and work with other recreation programs.

Pat believes recreation has a social impact. You get satisfaction working in recreation.

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Don Henkel

Dr. Henkel cites four factors as having a strong influence on his career and philosophies. They include:

• A very stable childhood
• As a young boy, living a couple of blocks from school with a playground right across the street. He spent most of his time as a youth on that playground.
• While working at the George Williams College campus, a great emphasis on group work.
• In his first administrative position in Loveland, Colorado, exposure to state societies and professional development. He thoroughly enjoyed the give and take environment that those venues created.

Don's career began as a playground leader and then progressed into camp counselor and camp program director for the YMCA. After graduate school at George Williams College he took a position with Loveland, Colorado. Later, as the Director of Parks and Recreation in Villa Park, Illinois he got involved in a project through the National Recreation Association to develop professional standards.

After moving on to earn a doctorate at the University of Illinois, Don went to work for the newly created National Recreation and Park Association in 1967. Within a year, he was responsible for the Congress Program Coordination, professional development programs, job placement services and the NRPA internship program.

The majority of the video involves Don's recollection of the concepts, issues and efforts associated with NRPA's development of a national accreditation program for universities and registration/certification program for individuals.

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John Hewitt

John began his career at Maryland National Capital Park Planning Commission (MNCPPC) in 1945 as an Information and Records Clerk following a tour of service with the military. At that time, the Montgomery County portion of the Commission included eleven parks totaling 1600 acres. At the time of his retirement in 1974, Montgomery County included over 28,000 acres of park land under MNCPPC direction.

Throughout his career, John focused on four keys in building a quality organization. They included:

1. Hiring competent, qualified people who would respond with proactive initiative to follow the agency's General Plan.
2. Involving himself and the organization with civic associations, HOA's, etc., to create community involvement.
3. Going on the offensive, not defensive when people said they wanted something. MNCPPC always stressed that those people needed to express support for the need for services, facilities and staff.
4. Giving credit to the politicians who allocated funds for land, facilities and services.

Additionally, he believed that a Director’s role had two primary aspects. One was to encourage and foster staff development. The second was to build public support. John felt that the Director must take the leadership role to communicate the philosophy and goals of the agency and to instill pride in the staff to meet those goals by empowering them to share in accomplishing those goals.

Over the course of his career the biggest change he saw in the field of Parks and Recreation:

Early on recreation was seen as a way to get kids off the streets and doing something constructive. Recreational pursuits became much more sophisticated with so many elements and interests to be

His advice to young professionals: don’t look at recreation as a 9-5 job. Have a sincere motive to work in the field, build relationships and work with peers, accept responsibility and always continue to learn.

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Thomas l. Hines

A native of New Hanover County, North Carolina, Dr. Hines moved to Sarasota and Venice, Florida in the late 1920s. It was there that he was first exposed to organized recreation. The son of a building contractor, Tom's family returned to Winston-Salem in 1929. In high school, he took classes to follow in his father's footsteps. After graduating from high school in 1931, he worked playgrounds for the city of Winston-Salem for two years.

In 1933, he entered North Carolina State University. His father wanted him to study engineering. Tom made an agreement with his father that if his grades were good after his first year of studying engineering, Tom could pursue whatever course of study he wished. After making the Dean's list, he transferred from the Mechanical Engineering program to Physical Education.

Early in his career, while working for Winston-Salem, Tom remembers the influence of Loyd B. Hathaway, the city's Director of Parks and Recreation, and acknowledges him as a mentor. Mr. Hathaway always hired the best people he could find, ensured all services were free and believed in the neighborhood concept of parks and recreation.

Tom expressed that the proliferation of park and recreation curriculums at universities was a big mistake because it caused unnecessary competition among the universities.

Over his career, Tom saw a shift away from the playground movement that gave birth to the recreation field. That change created the need for facilities that thereby created a need for money. Recreation as a free service available to all people has virtually disappeared. He also noted that in 1947 curriculums taught people the “nuts and bolts” part of recreation programming. The focus has changed to teaching the managerial aspects of recreation programming.

He also developed a sense of the importance continuing education played as a way to help practitioners. It was his respect for the practitioners that formed the basis of his efforts to develop programs at NCSU for practitioners to stay current in the field. In 1961 he was invited to attend a conference in Wheeling to discuss alternative ways to generate revenue to fund programs. Following his beliefs, and as an outgrowth of that conference, he started the Revenue Management School at Oglebay in 1964.

Tom cited, as his two of his greatest accomplishments, leading NCSU's program to earn the distinction of being the first institution in the country to be accredited by NRPA and the development of the continuing education program offered at Oglebay. He expressed deep pride in the fact that the regents and teachers of those programs are practitioners not academicians.

In his view, the profession's greatest needs include:

• Administrators need to take positive approaches to not be limited by what the budget permits.
• Recognizing that special interests dictate our services, but special interests don't cover the multitude of needs of the public.
• Constantly staying in touch with people so we anticipate their needs. Changing demographics impact the ability to maintain constant service focus and levels.
• College/university curriculums should be based on the needs of the profession.

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Ford Hughes

Ford began his professional career in vocational education (MS in Education and BS in Vocational Education). After working on a part time basis for Meramac Springs Park in St. James, MO, ($.50/hour in 1946) he inquired about full time work. Fourteen years later he was asked to be the Park Superintendent for the park.

In 1962 Ford became Director of Maramec Springs and, with the support of the James Foundation (a non-profit organization of the James Family trust), he began a program of park development that included Maramec Springs Park which is 6 miles outside of St. James, MO (population 3,000) and in the town of St. James as well. Maramec Springs Park is noted for its outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities (fishing, wildlife viewing, and hiking) and conservation practices.

Tapping the resources of University of Missouri (Columbia) and the members of the Missouri Park and Recreation Association, Ford developed his knowledge about parks and recreation. He describes how he was given absolute freedom to develop the park and facilities in town due the trust the directors of the New York Community Trust Fund had in him. That trusting relationship was built over years of work. He became a Director of the fund himself in 1962 which Ford felt increased his desire to be ethical in his management practices and his relationship with people.

One of Ford's outstanding contributions was the creation of National Symposiums on topics of interest to parks and recreation. These symposiums are by invitation only and allow a small group of professionals to discuss and tackle issues important to the profession. The first symposium was held in 1977 in St. James. MO. Others have been held in Myrtle Beach, SC; Dallas, TX; Champaign, IL; and St. Charles, MO.

His advice for young professionals is simple: you have to want to work with people; you have to have the desire to learn what people want to do [with their leisure]; and you have to learn government and community relations.

Ford Hughes is a unique and remarkable man who made an incredible impact on the profession.

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Ira Hutchinson shares his incredible journey as an African American who wanted to be a coach in the 1950s. His path led him from Kansas State University to the Topeka, Kansas State Hospital where a psychiatrist recognized the potential of this hospital attendant and got him placed in the Recreation Therapy department. Ira details his philosophy that the recreation experience is one of the most effective ways to effect behavioral and attitudinal changes. He speaks of the role of sports in advancing overall diversity efforts, as well as the importance of PL94-142 and the ADA in “jump starting” and lending credibility to the recreation profession. As Deputy Director of the National Park Service, he was committed to expand the dimensions of service beyond its focus on natural resources to include the experience of people in the parks. He also had significant international experiences with the NPS and would like to see more international exchanges between professionals. He shares the beginnings of The Roundtable Associates and its important role in urban communities. His perspectives on the loss of some humanity on the part of this profession are thought provoking and challenging. This leader has touched varied facets of the parks and recreation profession.

Dr. Lynn M. Jamieson, CPRP is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at Indiana University. Dr. Jamieson was the first female chair of the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at Indiana University. She was also formerly Professor and Coordinator of the Recreation Administration Program at California Polytechnic State University and coordinated its initial American Association of Leisure and Recreation (AALR)/Society of Park and Recreation Educators (SPRE) accreditation program.

Dr. Jamieson received her Re.D. in Recreation, an MS in Recreation, and an MS in Physical Education from Indiana University, as well as a BS in Health and Physical Education from Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. She received an outstanding Alumni Award from the Division of Recreational Sports in recognition of her contributions and achievements in the field of recreational sports. Prior to receiving her doctorate, Jamieson served in various administrative levels over 12 years in Santa Ynez Valley Recreation Program (CA), Corpus Christi Park and Recreation Department (TX), San Diego Recreation Department (CA), and Johnson County Park and Recreation District (KS).

Jamieson has been a presenter on a variety of subjects and has authored or co-authored over 50 articles in several journals and has been a co-author in eight textbooks. She served as President of the Society of Park and Recreation Educators (1994-95), was on the SPRE Board of Directors (1991-93), and has served on the CPRP Examination Committee, SPRE Fieldwork Committee, SPRE Teaching Effectiveness Committee, and the Board of Directors for the AALR. In addition, she is an Accreditation Visitor and has served as a chair and member of over 10 visitation committees.

Dr. Jamieson has also been listed in Outstanding Young Women of America, the Who’s Who Registry of Business Leaders, and is currently being listed in the Who’s Who among Academic Leaders.

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Born the son of a forest ranger, Chris Jarvi (1944-2013) grew up with a deep understanding of the importance of the relationship between man and nature. His father instilled in him the importance of finding ways to intelligently balance recreation use with resource preservation.

In 2003, Jarvi was appointed as Associate Director for Partnerships and Visitor Experience for the National Park Service in Washington, DC. In this capacity, he was given nationwide responsibility for Partnerships and Philanthropy, Interpretation/Education, Media Development, Volunteerism, Tourism, Youth Programs, Technical Assistance, Long Distance Trails, Wild and Scenic Rivers and, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Given that this was a newly-created position upon his arrival, he commenced to reorganize the Partnership Office and the Tourism Office, consolidate the interpretive and media programs, and reorganize the service models of both the Harper’s Ferry Media Center and the Job Corps programs. He oversaw the creation of the Service’s first comprehensive Interpretation and Education Renaissance Action Plan which set the foundation for I & E Service-wide programming in the future. He then served as an advisor to Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar’s office in helping to create a 21st Century Conservation Corps for youth.

To increase partnership capacity in the Service, he created new tools such as agency policies on donations and fundraising and cooperating associations, new guidance on partnership construction, the creation of partnership competencies which have been included in Service-wide training and job descriptions, model partnership agreements for use throughout the Service and training programs to help field personnel to use these tools. He oversaw the development of the first MOU between the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation in this partnership’s 35-year history.

Jarvi formerly served for 22 years as Director of Community Services for the City of Anaheim. There, he supervised a staff of more than 200 full-time employees and more than 420 part-time workers. His department consisted of Anaheim's 43 parks, six public libraries, three public swimming pools, a multipurpose stadium, five community recreation buildings, two senior citizen centers, a community service center, a therapeutic recreation center, 74,000 street trees, two golf courses, a museum and an outdoor theater.

He earned his Master of Science degree from the University of California, Davis and a Bachelor of Science degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Because he believed in giving back to his profession, Jarvi was a member of the California Parks and Recreation Society starting in 1967. He served as President in 1987 during which time he also served on the League of California Cities’ Board of Directors. He then went on to serve as the President of the National Park and Recreation Association in 1997-98 after having served on a number of important committees including strategic planning, partnerships and alliances, fundraising, and governance.

Jarvi was recognized with professional honors including an APRS Professional Award for Meritorious Service (1991), a NRPA Distinguished Fellow Award (1992), and the California Park and Recreation Society's highest recognition, the Fellowship Award (1995). He was named a fellow of the American Academy for Parks and Recreation and received the Academy's distinguished Cornelius Amory Pugsley Award in 2000.

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Walter Johnson provides an interesting discussion of his childhood growing up on a farm in Illinois that contributed to his love of land, nature, and trees. In addition, educational experiences with drama and music and interest in golf have prepared him well for the Park and Recreation Profession.

He attributes early mentoring by college professors such as Charles Brightbill and others that set the stage for his long and successful career of more than forty-five years. His experiences as a Park District Administrator in Illinois and changes he has witnessed in the demand for public recreation over the years are well stated.

As a Regional Director for the NRPA in the Great Lakes area, he discusses what he believes young professionals must experience to become successful leaders in a profession. The importance of education, networking, and other skills and abilities are discussed. Commitment to family as well as balancing work with personal life are also covered. His philosophy and advice for young professionals also points to the importance of vision, ethics, and enjoying the rewards of public service.

This is an excellent tape highlighting a career that spans public agency administrative service to servicing professionals through the National Recreation and Park Association.

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Donald Jolley

Don was born and grew up during the Depression which played an important part in the direction of his life. He spent 44 years as a park and recreation administrator. He felt that his professional career paralleled the growth of the public park and recreation movement.

He was a teenage p1ayground leader during summers in Kansas City, Kansas. After graduation from high school he went into the Army and was assigned to Special Services(now called MWR - Morale, Welfare and Recreation). After military service he returned to Kansas City as a Recreation Center Director and used his GI Bill to obtain his degree at Kansas City University(now Univ. of Kansas in Kansas City). He became Director of the Department at age 24 and stayed for 4 years. He was also Director in Topeka, KS and Pittsburg, KS where the Department won the Gold Medal. He finished out his professional career as the Director of the Salina, KS Parks and Recreation Department.

Early career decisions:

1. Decided that the parks and recreation profession would be his commitment for life.
2. He would stay in Kansas, his home state, for his entire career which would provide him an opportunity to have a significant impact over time.

A person really has to have a commitment to the profession today if they are going to have any type of impact. In working with interns over the years, only 25-30% really have the commitment, the passion, and the feeling for the profession.

He worked mostly for a city manager form of municipal government after some early political problems with commission form. Young people coming into the profession should be made aware of the importance of political activity, and non-partisan politics, in their jobs. They should be made aware of this as a basic part of their academic training. It is also vital that Directors and Board members be active in legislative efforts because legislative action can have very positive or negative impacts on programs and operations.

Major accomplishments:

1. Initiated significant programs and projects in four communities in Kansas.
2. Served as President of the National Park and Recreation Association, was on the Board of Trustees and involved with many committees and projects with NRPA.
3. Served on the National Certification Board(Chair for 4 years) during which time the Certification Program was instituted.
4. Was instrumenta1 in the development of the Accreditation Program for local park and recreation agencies.

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Charles Jordan what led him to Parks and Recreation. He graduated from college and couldn’t find a job. After a short time the mayor of Palm Springs offered him a job. It was in that job he learned about handling people.

As for changes in Parks and Recreation he says there are not enough. He says we spend too much time on fun and games. We must get involved in the political aspect. He was initially elected as a City Commissioner of Parks.

He accepted the job as Director of Parks and Recreation in Austin, Texas. Then he moved back to Portland as Director of Parks and Recreation. He was appointed by President Reagan to the President’s Commission on Americans Outdoors. President Clinton appointed him to the American Rivers program.

Charles talks about his accomplishments in Portland and the skills needed by Park and Recreation professionals. First, they must truly love people and they must know the tools of their trade “people, parks and programs.” He said first we must collaborate as that is the way to overcome fun and games. We must use these tools to build community. Professionals in Parks and Recreation must have more conversation coming together to share ideas and experiences. We must collaborate with educators, developers, public safety, law enforcement and others.

Charles advice to people just entering the field is you must know your tools, know your parks and know what you can do with the land.

The profession must get political. NRPA needs to mobilize their various branches. We need to get more movers and shakers to support us. We need to be about business not fun and games. He feels that the future of parks and recreation is bright.

He talks about writing a book and the information and background needed to write a book.

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Jack Kardys retired in 2017 as Director of the nationally accredited and Gold Medal Award winning Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department (MDPROS) after 36 years of service. MDPROS is one of the largest and most diverse park systems in the country with 270 parks on 12,800 acres of land, serving 2.5 million residents and 10 million visitors annually.

Dedicating his career to public service, Jack is currently the FRPA President and a past NRPA Board Member earning several notable accolades including the NRPA R.O.S.E., FRPA Distinguished Service, and ASPA Administrator of the Year Award winner, and led MDPROS to earn two Florida Governor’s Sterling Awards and the FRPA Agency Excellence Award.

With Jack’s leadership, the MDPROS System Master Plan has established the blueprint for improving the quality of life in Miami and transforming it into a more livable, loveable and sustainable community through a system of great parks, public spaces, natural and cultural areas connected by great greenways, blueways, trails and streets that serve as linear parks. Through collaboration with community partners, this Master Plan is a national model for enhancing Miami-Dade’s health, environment, social well-being, and its economic prosperity.

Jack is currently the President of J Kardys Strategies, LLC, developing and implementing innovative park and public realm strategies for building healthy and sustainable communities.

Dr. O - Joong Kim

The Father of Korean Recreation

Dr. O - Joong Kim was born in 1919 and served as a Professor of Physical Education and Recreation at Korea University for 30 years.

Recreation in Korea was historically tied to religious festivals.

Dr. Kim was heavily involved in the International Recreation Association. He combined those experiences with his educational training in Japan and the United States and the culture of Korea to guide the formulation of the Korean National Recreation Association in 1960. The creation of that association is recognized as the benchmark year for recreation in Korea.

As an outgrowth of the Korean War where Korea was split into North and South Korea, recreation was seen as a way to relieve stress and make society a better place in which to live and improve productivity.

Dr. Kim helped to formulate and organize the Korean National Recreation Festival and National Recreation Leadership Institute.

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Ray Kisiah

After serving in the Marine Corps, Ray Kisiah spent one summer as a church camp director and three summers with the Charlotte Park and Recreation Commission as a playground leader. While he was considering studying for the ministry, those summers helped him to realize that he could have a profound effect on the lives of young people through recreation, much more so than he could as a minister.

Ray repeatedly recognizes Harold Meyer as having had a tremendous influence on his philosophy of recreation dating back to his days as a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He clearly believes that "recreation can change peoples' lives and you can change a community through recreation.”

As an administrator, Ray felt it important that he maintain his first love of being involved with kids by influencing the entire organization to affect the lives of youth. He felt that the problem with teen programs was that we had moved away from allowing teens to self-determine programs to a concept of telling teens what they needed.

When asked what he saw as the prominent qualities of an administrator, Ray cited having concern for people in your community and what you could do for them through recreation, getting along with people and building relationships, and treating people as you would want to be treated. He also felt that it was imperative for a good administrator to be involved in professional development and professional associations.

Since entering the field of parks and recreation Ray felt the following changes had occurred:

• People in the profession were not as altruistic as they used to be. They aren't as focused on service to the community.
• The emphasis on fees and charges or making a predetermined percentage of the budget tends to keep those most in need from being able to access recreation services. Problems with teens can be traced to that emphasis.
• We have not done a good job of selling the philosophy that basic services like parks and recreation should be available to everyone.
• The trend toward privatization doesn't always consider the true cost. We need to really analyze what needs to be done, the extra things that city staff can do that a contractor won't do and the cost to administer contracts.
• As a profession we are becoming managers not recreation providers.

Ray expressed great pride in having had his agency earn accreditation from NRPA. The process, while not easy, made the team more of a team, streamlined the organization and enabled them to compare to other departments.

Throughout his career, Ray earned a number of prestigious state and national awards. While he won two awards named after his mentor Harold Meyers, he was most proud of having received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior award from the City of Asheville, North Carolina.

For the future of the profession, he thinks we need to get back to the basics, stay out of partisan politics and do a better sales job of the value and importance of recreation.

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Bill Koegler received well deserved recognition being selected as a “Legend” in 2012. His path to outstanding professional and Legend takes him along a road less traveled. His focus is private sector funding to build a park system and nurture the growth of professionals across the country.

Bill began his Parks and Recreation journey when he was sent to Oglebay Park Resident Caddy Camp in the summer of 1961 by his grade school football coach who had two “slots” each year in the camp. While there Bill took up golf. This lead to a number of seasonal facility and programming part time jobs at Oglebay Park thru high school and then part time managerial jobs while attending the local West Liberty University. Bill was a commuting student, working part-time year round to pay tuition and living with a number of other college students working at Oglebay in old Civilian Conservation Corps cottages. Part time seasonal managerial positions included Ski Lodge Manager, Swimming Pool Manager and shift manager on the Golf Course. He was hired by Randy Worls, part time in 1965. Randy was Bill’s only “boss” throughout his career. Bill describes Randy as “the most creative business person with whom I have ever been associated”.

Bill graduated from West Liberty in 1971 with a degree in Secondary Education and a dual Major in History and Business. He then accepted a position teaching school. Meanwhile at Oglebay, long time Park Superintendent, Earl Gaylor, left unexpectedly for the private sector in January of 1972. Randy Worls was named to replace Earl. Randy called Bill and asked if he would consider leaving teaching and accepting a full time position at Oglebay as Facilities Manager, which Bill accepted in April of 1972. His first assignment, two weeks into his career, was to attend the Revenue Sources Management School at Oglebay which he graduated from in 1973. This is now the flagship school of the National Training Center at Oglebay which Bill established in 1997 and which now facilitates 15 National Schools.

The Oglebay story, from the very beginning, is one of self sustainability. Oglebay Park began in 1925 with a gift of land by the Earl Oglebay estate. Today the park has 2,000 acres, 85 facilities, 1,100 employees and a $35 million operating budget. They receive no tax support, relying on private sector funding. The park system is run like a business and yet offers programs and scholarship so everyone can participate and enjoy the park. Through the years Bill held the positions of Operations Manager, Zoo Director, Wilson Lodge Manager, Vice President of Hospitality and Tourism, Development Director, Vice President of the Oglebay Foundation, and finally Director of the National Training Center at Oglebay.

The opportunities Bill experienced in the hotel business and later in the non-profit foundation and development phase of his career required extensive personal training. Bill first experienced the schools at Oglebay” first as a student, then as the administrator developing new schools with Dr. Tom Hines of North Carolina State University in the 1970’s to the present. There are now 15 national training schools at Oglebay. These schools were a major factor in turning what was a negative NRPA school relationship in the 1980’s and 1990’s into a strong working partnership in the 2000’s. Bill took the Development Director position with the Oglebay Foundation in 1997 and again had to be “retrained”. He led a successful capital campaign raising nearly $35 Million for capital projects and endowments for the Oglebay Foundation.

As Bill honed his skills in private sector funding and fund development he began his own company Koegler Consulting which he operates when he not busy with continuing to make Oglebay a success. Bill is proud of his assistance in the development of over a dozen “support foundations” for communities and Parks and Recreation Departments throughout the US. Bill finds It especially rewarding to see them flourishing in difficult economic times.

For Bill the best part of being a Parks and Recreation Professional is being able to go to work on a daily basis and positively affect someone’s life by providing leisure activities and passive “soul support” in a beautiful setting. He enjoys meeting so many different people and being able to help them with their lives in so many ways, including soccer kids, swim clubs, senior garden clubs…and the list goes on forever.

For young people considering the Park and Recreation profession Bill says it is a great profession, but to remember, in this day and age, it is a business…and the more prepared you can be for operating in a “business atmosphere” the more successful you will be. For experienced professionals he offers to not be afraid to seek assistance from the Private Sector to reach your goals.

Bill Koegler is a dedicated Parks & Recreation professional who has made numerous contributions to our profession and to individual professionals. He is truly a “Legend” in our field and his accomplishments have come or a “road less traveled”.

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Edward J. Koenemann retired in 1998 after seventeen years of service as the Director of Vermont State Parks. Other positions he held included Director of Planning Division, Vermont Agency of Environmental Conservation (1974-1980); Vermont Director of Recreation (1968-1974); Superintendent of Parks, Evansville, IN (1966-1968); Supervisor of Fulltime Centers, Public Recreation Commission, Evansville, IN; (1961-1966) and Recreation Specialist, Vermont of Recreation (1958-1961). He served as a part-time instructor and adjunct professor at Lyndon State College, Johnson State College, and the University of Vermont for 26 years.

He received his B.S. degree in Recreation (1957) and his M.S. degree in Recreation (1958) both from Indiana University. Some of his professional affiliations included: Vermont Recreation and Park Association; Vermont Association of Physical Education and Sports; National Recreation and Park Association; American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance; Association of Northeast State Park Directors; National Association of State Park Directors; National Society for Park Resources; American Recreation Society; American Institute of Park Executives; American Park and Recreation Society; and American Academy for Park and Recreation Administrators. He is a Charter Member of the National Recreation and Park Association.

He served on the following Boards and Councils: Indiana Park and Recreation Association (1967); New England District Council of NRPA (1968-1971); National Council of NRPA (1969-1974 and 1981-1985); American Park and Recreation Society (1976-1978); National Society for Park Resources (1981-1985); Vermont Certification Board (1984-1997); National Association of State Park Directors (1985-1987); National Council on Accreditation (1986-1989); Park and Recreation Maintenance Management School (1986-1989 and 1991-1994); NRPA Board of Trustees (1989-1994).

His professional leadership positions included: New England Regional Council of NRPA Chair (1973-1974 and 1985-1986); National Society for Park Resources President (1990-1992); Park and Recreation Maintenance Management School Board Chair (1993-1994); Association of Northeast State Park Directors President (1992-1997); National Association of State Park Directors President (1993-1995); National Recreation and Park Association President (1993-1994).

His honors and awards include: Vermont Recreation Society Citation For Service (1961); Special Citation for Distinguished Service, New England Regional Council of NRPA (1977); Theresa S. Brungardt Award for Outstanding Service, Vermont Recreation and Park Association (1981); Founder's Award for Meritorious Service, National Society for Park Resources (1986); Garrett G. Eppley Alumni Recognition Award, Indiana University (1986); Distinguished Service Award, National Association of State Park Directors (1992); Cornelius Amory Pugsley State Medal, National Park Foundation (1995); Willard W. Patty Distinguished Alumni Award, Indiana University (1996); "Legends" Honor, American Academy for Park and Recreation Administrators (2000); and "Conservation Hero" Recognition, National Park Service.

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Kathryn Krieg

Kathryn Krieg, at 89, talks about her 46 year professional career with the Des Moines Department. She discusses her early educational experience with the one year NRA school and reminds us of the early NRA mentors. She details the effects of the 1930's depression and of World War II on her Des Moines program and outlines the positive reinforcement of the value of recreation engendered by both events.

An early leader in getting cooperation from private, public and social agencies at local level, she outlines the strategies that brought legislation at the state level and professional interaction at district levels.

Her memories of behind the scenes machinations as the park and recreation merger evolved in the 60's are humorous. As one of the few women who held a major administrative position in the early years, she recalls the contributions of other women who paved similar paths.

She outlines the contributions of the National Recreation Association in the early phases of the recreation movement: the personnel, the conferences, the publications---and their influence on her own career.

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Lewis Ledford joined the state parks system in 1976 at WB Umstead State Park in North Carolina as a ranger, and he rose through the ranks to become director of the division in 2003, the first director to do so. He spearheaded unprecedented park creation and acquisition initiatives and was an unrelenting advocate for more equitable compensation for park staff, who Ledford says is the “other most important resource in parks”.

During his time as director, North Carolina added almost 50,000 acres, an approximate 20% increase to the state parks system. He was a driving force in the creation and development of the Gorges State Park and the establishment of Grandfather Mountain, Chimney Rock, Haw River, Carvers Creek and Mayo River State Parks.

Ledford retired from North Carolina State Parks in 2014 and was quickly recruited to serve as the Executive Director of the National Association of State Park Directors. His experience in managing state parks and his remarkable ability to advocate for the conservation of outdoor recreation made him an ideal candidate.

Ledford assumed the position of Director of the State Park Leadership School in 2015. This enhanced the relationship between the state park systems and the Leadership School's student recruitment. Along with the importance of true leadership within the ranks of America's State Parks, Ledford is aware of the value of staff education. Under his leadership, enrollment levels are at their greatest point ever.

Ledford's passion for America's State Parks and the conservation and preservation of the special landscapes of our nation is evident from his lifelong effort to make a difference in the field of parks and recreation.

Boyd Lee grew up in Tabor City, NC, a small farming community in Eastern North Carolina near the South Carolina border. Boyd was active in school and recreational sports as a young man that influenced his decision to major in recreation and park administration. He graduated from North Carolina State University in 1967 with a degree in recreation and park administration and accepted his first full time position as assistant director of parks and recreation in Greenville, North Carolina.

In 1969, only two years after joining the city of Greenville, the director of parks and recreation left for another position and Boyd was hired to fill that position. With only a few parks, and six employees, Boyd took on the challenge that would result in a 38-year career as director and tremendous growth in parks and recreation facilities as well as staffing and budget support, culminating in Greenville being named North Carolina’s Sport Town USA by Sports Illustrated.

Boyd’s accomplishments were not limited to Greenville as he was also a state and national leader as reflected by his service as president of the North Carolina Recreation and Park Society, election to the Board of Trustees of the National Recreation and Park Association, and his selection to the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration.

When Boyd retired in 2007 the City of Greenville had nearly 40 areas and facilities ranging from traditional facilities like golf courses, community centers and athletic facilities to a comprehensive park and recreation system with greenways, aquatic centers, public gardens, nature centers, dog parks, athletic facilities and a teen center. The crown jewel of the Greenville Parks and Recreation Department is the H. Boyd Lee Park that was named for Boyd while he still served as director.

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Ronald Lehman is a Channahon Park District Commissioner who has served for over 50 years. He was appointed to the Board on April 13, 1972, exactly eight months after the Channahon Park District was formed.

In the early years of the Park District, Ron played a big part in starting the Park District's recreational activities including summer events, day camp, tennis lessons, softball, and swimming at the Manor Motel. He was also instrumental in achieving the Park District's long-sought plans for an aquatic facility and a golf course in 1993, with the opening of Tomahawk Aquatic Center and Heritage Bluffs Golf Club.

Under Ron's watch, the Channahon Park District has grown from managing the 12-acre I & M Canal State Park to owning over 500 acres, 19 parks, and four facilities. Ron is a dedicated advocate for parks and recreation, and his passion for the job is evident in his many years of service to the Channahon community.

In addition to his work with the Channahon Park District, Ron has also served on the boards of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association and the National Recreation and Park Association. He is a recipient of the NRPA's M. Graham Clark Award, which is given to individuals who have made significant contributions to the parks and recreation profession.

Ron is a highly respected leader in the parks and recreation community, and his contributions have made a lasting impact on the Channahon Park District and the field as a whole. He is a true champion of parks and recreation, and his dedication to the profession is an inspiration to all.

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Darrell Lewis was raised in rural southwest Washington where he learned, at an early age, to enjoy the out-of-doors. While not encouraged to attend college, he nevertheless enrolled at Washington State University in forestry. Subsequently, Darrell joined the U. S. Army working in intelligence where he developed strong interpersonal skills. Upon discharge, Darrell pursued and graduated from the University of Michigan in forest recreation, also earning a master’s degree.

Darrell’s initial employment occurred with the Tennessee Valley Authority where he “developed a good work ethic” and saw the impact that recreation had on people’s lives. Early in his career, Darrell gained employment with the Bureau of Land Management followed by a transfer to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers working out of Washington, D.C. for over 20 years.

On a professional level, Darrell was always active with the National Recreation and Park Association as well as the National Society for Park Resources, serving as president. Darrell was appointed to serve on the National Accreditation Council for Colleges and Universities and, through this experience, came to appreciate the standards required for preparation of new professionals.

During the interview, Darrell describes the changes he has witnessed in the professional field of parks and recreation including:

1. The immediate transfer of information whereby staff, as well as the public, has immediate access to information that previously could take days, if not weeks, to generate and transfer. This has required professionals to remain contemporary and networked with fellow professionals.
2. Population growth within the United States and shift in diversity of that population, with the corresponding increase in urbanization and services required to serve those user groups.
3. Political propensity to impact park and recreation policy seems to be increasing.

One of Darrell’s main achievements, which he cited during the interview, includes introduction of the concept of a “recreation opportunities spectrum,” whereby forest recreation may be viewed as a spectrum/continuum of experiences from passive to active. The range of benefits and economic implications of the “spectrum” also correlate from personal/passive activities at one end of the spectrum in contrast to more active, group activities at the other end of the spectrum.

In closing the interview, which occurred during the 2006 NRPA Congress in Seattle, Washington, Darrell underscored the importance of integrity and honesty during one’s professional career, and in “being in love with your work” which generates strong passion and zeal for the park and recreation profession.

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Nancy Lewis, President, Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center, LLC., is a force of nature in Colorado Springs. She served the City for over 27 years in a variety of responsibilities from leading 4th graders on nature walks to becoming the first female Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation. Nancy worked to create the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center and she, along with a dedicated group of volunteers, created the Garden of the Gods Foundation which has contributed over 2.3 million dollars toward the capital improvements, maintenance, staffing and programs for the Park. The partnership she started between the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center, LLC., the Garden of the Gods Foundation and the City has become a national model for how private and public entities can come together to manage an incredible natural resource. In 2011 Nancy wrote The Parks of Colorado Springs: Building Community, Preserving a Legacy as an effort to remind people of how this community was founded and the immeasurable role parks has had on the image and identity of the City of Colorado Springs. Her personal insight has been drawn from the over 50 years of commitment to this community and its outstanding park system. Nancy is known throughout this community for her advocacy and commitment to our Parks System but she is equally known for her leadership of the Penrose-St Francis Health Foundation, the Chamber of Colorado Springs, the Symphony and our Convention and Visitors Bureau, all of which she chaired. She currently sits on the board of the Rocky Mountain PBS. She continues to mentor young people and was just last year named the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Unstoppable Woman of the year for 2014.

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Dr. Michal Anne Lord, Ph.D., CPRP, TRS/TXC, retired from the Texas Recreation & Park Society (TRAPS) in March 2022. Dr. Lord had been the executive director of TRAPS for more than 20 years.

After working part-time with Austin Parks and Recreation Department for many years while earning her masters in therapeutic recreation, she landed a full-time position as a recreation center supervisor and worked her way up the ranks through municipal government, education, and nonprofits.

Dr. Lord is a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP) and a Therapeutic Recreation Professional (TRP). As the Division Coordinator of Recreation Administration at Southwest Texas State University/Texas State University, she taught for 13 years in the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. She is a past member of the National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA) Board of Trustees, past president of the National Therapeutic Recreation Society and the Therapeutic Recreation Branch of TRAPS.

She has served on the Board of Directors of Special Olympics Texas; and has chaired the National Advisory Council of Very Special Arts, an educational affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Michal Anne is a certified NRPA/AALR Accreditation Visitor and served on the NRPA Regional Council Task Force and has received the Fellow Award and the Texas Recreation Professional of the Year Award from the Texas Recreation & Park Society, the Fellow Award from the NRPA Southwest Regional Council, as well as the National Therapeutic Recreation Society’s Distinguished Service Award.

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Janet MacLean

MacLean traces her early recreation career in Vermont to the 32 years at Indiana University, ending with the initiation of the I.U. Center on Aging for which she was the first Director.

She details some of the history and the challenges of the NRA Recruitment Committee with Woody Sutherland; the writing of the SPRE By-Laws in the merger; the initiation of first SPRE, then NRPA Public Visibility Projects; the SPRE Leisure Education Conferences; the LILY funded Leisure Education Advancement Project(LEAP); the NRPA Wes Francis Audio-Visual Excellence Award program; and the SPRE International Committee spearheaded by Dr. Nellie Arnold.

MacLean talks of the need to take our message to other arenas: to interpret our role in the maintenance of physical health, psychological well being and social welfare; and to be in the advocacy forefront when decisions are being made which impact our capacity to provide adequate services.

As a mother and grandmother, she comments on the role of working women and her experiences in the male dominated profession of the early years. She recalls in detail the history of the process which coordinated the formation of the present NRPA-AAHPERD Council on Accreditation. The interview ends with a delineation of five major challenges still present(1982), views of the importance of the Academy's role, and a positive affixation of the potential rewards for those who choose the park and recreation profession.

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Fran Mainella shares her early interest in parks and recreation as a youthful playground leader. Her undergraduate degree is in Physical Education and she taught PE in her early career. In 1977 she moved into parks and recreation full time working with the cities of Tallahassee and Lake Park, Florida. She then became the Executive Director of the Florida Park and Recreation Association and for 10 years served as the Director of Florida State Parks. (Since the taping Ms. Mainella has been selected by President Bush as the Director of the National Park Service.) Fran served as the NRPA President in 1998-99.

Ms. Mainella talks about the importance of citizen involvement and ownership in the preservation of parks and outdoor spaces. She also discusses her mentors and their impact upon her career.

Fran identifies the changes she has experienced in the last 30 years in the profession and delivery of services. She shares her thoughts of skills and abilities necessary for success in the field, including communication and leadership. Fran shares some of the positive aspects of the parks and recreation profession as well as some of the pitfalls, challenges and opportunities facing the field. She shares her vision for parks and recreation and the values she believes are essential for our professionals.

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Gina McCarthy, President & CEO, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York

Gina McCarthy is an accomplished professional who has dedicated over three decades to public service and advocacy, working to protect our environment, link environmental policy with public health, promote environmental justice, address climate change and foster shared stewardship of our resources. She has developed cutting edge policy, worked with leaders at every level across the nation and the globe, and she continues to be a passionate, energetic environmental champion on many fronts.

Currently the President and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Gina also led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation before serving as EPA Administrator from 2013-2017. Gina is also a Professor of Practice of Public Health and Chair of the Board of Advisors at the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Her love of parks and recreation is grounded in her Massachusetts roots where she grew up and served in various roles in local and state government including Undersecretary for Policy for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and Deputy Secretary for the Office of Commonwealth Development. As Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, she raised the profile of state parks and the importance of connecting people to each other and to special places by creating the No Child Left Inside® initiative and launching The Great Park Pursuit (GPP) in 2006. When introduced, the GPP was an innovative, cutting-edge program that inspired families to explore state parks close to home while learning new activities such as fishing, camping and boating. Not only did she provide a creative platform for kids and kids at heart to explore the outdoors at a time when “nature deficit disorder” became a growing concern, but she introduced state parks to a new generation in Connecticut, and in other states she inspired to adopt the GGP model. While any of her accomplishments alone would warrant Legends status, her commitment to connecting people to the land and resources is our reason to celebrate her as a Legend.

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Jayne Miller has 40 years’ experience in parks, recreation, and leisure services with over 20 years of executive level public and non-profit leadership experience. Jayne is an internationally recognized leader in the field of urban parks and recreation and an international leader in developing and implementing equitable investment strategies for park systems.

She has held positions as the President & CEO of the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy in Pittsburgh, PA.; Superintendent of the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board in Minneapolis, MN.; Director of the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority in Brighton, MI.; Community Services Area Administrator for the City of Ann Arbor in Ann Arbor, MI.; and Manager of Parks and Recreation for the City of Ann Arbor in Ann Arbor, MI. Jayne is routinely invited to present on leadership, equity, and management of urban park systems at international, national, regional, and state conferences and workshops.

Under Jayne’s leadership the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy (PPC) and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) have been recognized for their work on social equity. During Jayne’s tenure as Superintendent, the Minneapolis Park System was recognized by the Trust for Public Land as the #1 Park System six years running, 2013-2018, and as an NRPA National Gold Medal Award Finalist three years running, 2016-2018.

The PPC was the recipient of the National Recreation and Park Association’s 2020 Innovation in Social Equity Award and the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society’s 2020 Award of Excellence for the Restoring Pittsburgh Parks Initiative. The MPRB received the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association’s 2017 Award of Excellence for the 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan.

Currently, Jayne serves as World Urban Parks board chair and chair of the CAPRA Commission and is an American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration and Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow.

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William Penn Mott

Amid scenic views of the San Francisco Bay area, Bill Mott traces his challenges in developing a highly urbanized(Oakland, CA)city --from protection of park lands from invading highways; to beautification of city streets; to diversification of programs to meet all age, ethnic, and discipline groups; to the establishment of the Oakland Fairyland, forerunner of Disneyland.

Mott's vision and creative leadership are evident as he reviews his tenure as East Bay Park District Director when the direction was set for the acquisition of the present 60,000 plus acres and the preservation of the redwoods.

As Director of California's State Parks under Governor Reagan, he emphasized the need for full time professional staff, accented the importance of the interpretive naturalist's role, and sought people managers as well as resource managers.

Mott describes the contributions of the California State Park Foundation of which he was President. As Director of the National Park Service under President Reagan, he emphasized the need for better communication with the Congress, with the media, and with the potential and participating park visitor. His philosophy of ”Parks and people are forever connected” and his belief in the need for balanced program offerings and excellent marketing techniques are evident as he enumerates present issues which impact park management.

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Rhodell Owens

Rhodell Owens attributes his affinity for natural resources to his early life on a farm-ranch in a family of nine.

He details the development of the Peoria region, the importance of planning, the acquisition of land, the early park-school agreements, techniques for work with other city agencies, and the initiation of the concept of protected open space within private developments. He comments on the process of cooperative relationships with the Forest Park Foundation.

He recognizes the current shift from public to private responsibility for parks and recreation but warns that the public recreation must remain alert to the needs of the economically disadvantaged who may lose access to rewarding recreation programs and places.

In retirement, Owens is involved in the planning and operation of a regional park and farm museum. He emphasizes the need for the profession to change with changing times, highly recommends the value of volunteers, and urges better articulation of the contribution of the profession to the quality of life.

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James Peterson

Jim Peterson attributes his entrance into the recreation profession to the early influence of mentors Dr. Walter Stone, Dr. Carlson, and Dr.Eppley. He brought the experience of early administrative positions in Kansas and Indiana to his unique joint appointment with Indiana University and Purdue. Housed academically in the Indiana Department of Recreation and Park Administration, he served the 92 counties of the State as a Purdue extension agent in the School of Agriculture. Peterson talks of the impact of that service on small cities and counties as the Land and Water Conservation Act demanded master plans before funding. He also emphasizes the effects of the service on higher education credibility.

Peterson describes his role in several innovative programs which provided a significant link between higher education and the field: the Executive Development Program which explored social, religious, economic and management issues which impact park and recreation services; the Study Abroad Program in Scotland; and the Academy's link with international programs.

Twice General Chairman of the National Recreation and Park Congress, he discusses the program and the process, and comments on the unique structure of the NRPA Board of Trustees and the present greater visibility of the professional President.

Peterson discusses his philosophy of the role of the profession and its worth to individuals and to urban sites. He identifies the importance of awareness of the two power sources as they impact good administration. He adds his views on present challenges of increased privatization, crime legislation, drug concerns, and the changing population demographics.

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Ron Pies, retired from the City of Tempe after thirty years October 12, 1998. He was hired as the Director of Parks and Recreation in 1969 before being promoted to the Director of Community Services in 1984. Ron is a graduate of Arizona State University, where he is a Gold Devil Life Member of the ASU Alumni Association. He also attended the University of New Mexico. He was a school record holder in two events on the University of New Mexico track team. He was also a member of his state championship high school track team. He was Vice Chair of the Maricopa County Stadium District Advisory Committee and Past President of the Cactus League Baseball Association. He was appointed to Chair the Governor's Baseball Commission in Arizona. He brought the Angels and Gene Autry to Tempe for spring training. He was also appointed by five Arizona Governors to the Baseball Commission (re-appointed in 2005 by Governor Napolitano), the Arizona State Parks Board, where he was instrumental in the creation and passage of the Arizona Heritage Act and the Outdoor Recreation Coordinating Commission. He was elected to a term on the Kyrene Elementary School Board in Tempe and Chandler and served one year as its President. Ron was the marketing chair for the Tempe Tourism Council of the Chamber of Commerce and was a founder of the Tempe Convention and Tourism Bureau. He was also a founding member of the Tempe YMCA Board. He also served as the treasurer for the Tempe Boys and Girls Club. He has been awarded the Fellow Award and the Distinguished Life Member awards by the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association, the Outstanding Professional Award from the Pacific Southwest Regional Council of the National Recreation and Parks Association. He was also a graduate and former chair of the board of regents for the Pacific Revenue Resources Management School. He was a recipient of the Management Award for Superior Service from the American Society for Public Administration. Ron has also been recognized as the Outstanding Young Man by the Scottsdale Jaycees .In 1996 he was inducted into the Arizona State University College of Public Programs Hall of Fame and the Tempe Elementary School District Hall of Fame. His department was awarded the National Gold Medal in 1975 and again in 1995 for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management. On January 21, 2000. Ron was recognized by the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association as one of nine Leisure Legends in recognition of that organization's first fifty years. On September 29, 2001, He was also honored by the City of Tempe with the dedication of the Ronald E. Pies Gymnasium at the new Westside Community Center. In 2016 the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administration selected Ron as an AAPRA Legend.

He is a graduate of ten Disney Institute's Business and Management Programs. Ron was inducted into the Cactus League Hall of fame on his 85th Birthday, March 21, 2025. He has celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary with his wife Bernita in August, 2024. They have two grown children. Their daughter, Cara (Paul) Tracy, resides in Scottsdale, and son, Dave (Jane) is Kearfott Corporation Training And Communications Coordinator . They reside in Black Mountain, North Carolina

Ron served in the Air Force Reserves and Air National Guard.

Mick Pope makes a strong case for education and the role it played in his professional development. Pope gives a lot of credit for his entry to the Park & Recreation field to Dr. Alan Sapora at the University of Illinois. Pope went through a number of disciplines before settling on Park & Recreation. Fortunately he landed safely in our profession.

Mick takes us through his early years at Topeka, Kansas and the opportunity to work for and with Dr. Joe Bannon. Pope had high praise for the learning and working experience he received in Topeka. Mick then moved on to Homewood-Flossmore Park District and was there when the two Districts merged into the one it is today. Pope gives a lot of insight into the art of dealing with Park Boards. His ability to walk that maze has served him well and should be of great value to the viewer. Listen closely to his advice in this area.

Pope continues in the interview to espouse the need for continuing education during your career. He talks of his leadership of his employees and his encouragement of their professional growth.

Pope also speaks fondly of his years at Elmhurst Park District, Illinois. He was with that district until retirement some twenty-two later. Mentoring was and is a major role in Mick's life. His leadership at both the state and national level should be of great value to the viewer. Pope serves on the National Recreation and Park Association Board of Trustees and was President of the organization in 1998.

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John Potts said his early ambition was to join the Navy which he did serving for 5 years during the Vietnam war. Leaving the Navy he returned to college and obtained a degree in Business under the G.I. Bill.

Two of John’s hobbies are hunting and fishing and he decided he did not want to stay sitting in a business office so he changed majors to Outdoor Resources Management. He received a bachelors and Masters degree.

His first job was Director of Activity Therapy in a prison. He tells of all the problems he had to overcome to provide recreation in a prison. John later worked at his Dad’s business and part-time as a deputy sheriff. He then took a position as Chief of Police for the Peoria Park District. In Peoria he moved up the ladder as Superintendent of Parks and as Interim Director for the Park District. Then he took a position as Executive Director of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District. He said that his work with the Forest Preserve was probably the most enjoyable job of his career. John says that he believes that the degree in forestry helped him get jobs but the degree in Business helped him to keep jobs. He said the young people of today must learn the business side of Park and Recreation administration.

John talks about the changes in the profession during his career. The early emphasis was on small vest pocket parks but now we are coming back to neighborhood parks. The amount of programming is a concern for us. You no longer see kids playing pickup games in the park because now everything is programmed. He is also concerned that the Parks and Recreation programs become a type of babysitting.

John believes that Parks and Recreation agencies should become a blue collar organization serving the poor kids. He sees parks and recreation agencies building a several million dollar center but it is not in the poorer area of town.

John said he has two rules:

1. Never use free and golf in the same sentence
2. Never buy anything that eats

To maintain a good relationship with the Board John says you must be brutally honest. And tell them anything bad that happened before they read it in their newspaper. Also don’t take anything to the Board that they don’t have a complete background on.

John says the key to success as an administrator is to supervise people in a way that they want to come to work, include staff in the decision making process, and give staff the opportunity to go on their own.

John believes one of the best things he has done is putting trails in parks.

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General Superintendent Arnold Randall heads The Forest Preserves of Cook County, who was appointed to the position in 2010 by Forest Preserve District of Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle.

During General Superintendent Randall’s tenure, the Forest Preserves has made notable strides in becoming a more transparent, accountable and strategic government agency, focusing on restoring and protecting Cook County’s most precious natural areas. Key accomplishments include the Next Century Conservation Plan; a multi-year Centennial celebration bringing new and diverse audiences to the Preserves; developing and launching strategic plans for camping, recreation, trails and habitat restoration; creating an independent advisory Conservation and Policy Council comprised of civic and business leaders; and opening five new campgrounds that re-establish the legacy of camping in the Preserves.

Before his tenure at the Forest Preserves, General Superintendent Randall served as director of the Office of Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago and commissioner of the City of Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development. He also served in a number of roles with the Chicago Park District, including director of legislative and community affairs, director of planning and development, and lakefront area and southeast region manager.

General Superintendent Randall serves on the Board of Directors of the National Recreation and Park Association and has served as chair of the Chicago Community Development Commission and Chicago Wilderness. In addition, he has been active in numerous civic and professional organizations, including the Woodlawn Children’s Promise Community, American Planning Association and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association.

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Bob Robertson

The Legends interview of Bob Robertson provides a valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities experienced by an administrator who worked in the field of Parks and Recreation for more than 50 years. Bob became interested in Parks and Recreation when he was participating in the intramural program at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon while attending college there. He earned his B.S. Degree in Business Administration at Willamette in 1947 and started his full-time career in Albany, Oregon in 1950. He worked in Albany for 10 years as the Director of Parks and Recreation with a starting budget of $40,000. In 1961 Bob left Albany to become the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Corvallis, Oregon, just 10 miles to the west. After working in Corvallis for 11 years he was hired as the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Anchorage, Alaska. He served as the Director in Anchorage for 19 years, during one of the most rapidly growing periods in the history of the State. In 1973, more than 20,000 people came to Anchorage to help build the oil pipeline and with the pipeline construction came millions of dollars for park facility construction. During this period, Bob was in charge of $60 million in park projects, all under construction at the same time. In 1975, the City of Anchorage and the Borough (County) governments combined and Bob was retained as the Director of a department responsible for a 2,000 square mile area, 173 parks, two ice arenas and 200 miles of trails.

Bob's Legends interview reveals an outstanding leader who helped organize professional park and recreation associations in both Oregon and Alaska. Bob discusses the first meeting of park professionals in Oregon in 1954 with 12 cities represented. He was elected the second President of the Oregon Park and Recreation Society in 1955. When Bob moved to Alaska, he helped organize the Alaska Recreation and Park Association. Alaska professionals held their first meeting 1975 and Bob was elected its first President in 1975-76. He served a second term as President for the Alaska Recreation and Park Association in 1988-89.

Bob talks of several changes that have occurred in the field during his career and mentions several of his most outstanding accomplishments. He also talks about the skills he thinks are needed for someone entering the field today: the ability to listen, have a thick skin, work hard, and get volunteers and citizens involved. In addition, Bob discusses several challenges facing our profession today: funding and the unwillingness of citizens to pay taxes, the need for collaboration, consolidation of city services and the loss of identity of Parks and Recreation.

Bob is currently serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Recreation and Park Association and is the President-elect of the Citizen-Board Member Branch of NRPA. He was a member of both the National Recreation Association and the American Institute of Park Executives before they combined to become NRPA. He has attended the NRPA Congress since 1965 and urges all professionals to get involved in their state associations. Bob has written a history for both the Oregon and Alaska Park and Recreation Associations.

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J. Robert Rossman, Ph.D., Professor and Dean Emeritus, Illinois State University, Author, Speaker, and Consultant, has been an advocate for developing excellent university programs in parks and recreation. He has been a university administrator for a significant part of his career serving as department chair for thirteen years at two different institutions and dean for ten years at two different institutions. Through his outstanding leadership, the program at the University of North Texas became the first accredited program in the State of Texas. Dr. Rossman has supported the accreditation process that helped strengthen undergraduate programs in parks and recreation having made twelve accreditation visits to universities over a twenty-two year period and serving on the accreditation council for one year. He has helped implement day-to-day operations of professional organizations and his peers have elected him to key leadership positions. Examples of his diverse service contributions include serving as President of SPRE, serving on the SPRE Board, serving on the Board of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, and co-developing, along with Dr. Gary Ellis, the NRPA Student Quiz Bowl. He performed various editorial responsibilities for journals in the field including Schole and the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. Dr. Rossman has made numerous significant contributions to the park and recreation field during his career that have sustained for over 45 years. He made these academic and service contributions while carrying heavy administrative responsibilities as a department chair and dean. He is one of the most visible, accomplished and respected academicians in our field. His work has helped establish that parks and recreation is a knowledge based profession and it has improved professional practice throughout America and the World.

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Jim Ruth shares his rich journey through the ranks of the profession, having “grown up” at a park nearby his home. His success as a public administrator in parks and recreation ultimately led him into city management. The contributions he has made to the communities he has served are impressive, though he shares them with gracious modesty. His impact on Anaheim, California, includes improvements to Anaheim stadium in order to keep the baseball Angels in Anaheim and the expansion of Disneyland, as well as the Anaheim Convention Center. He was involved in developing the strategic plan for NRPA in 1980 and the establishment of a Revenue School on the west coast. Three agencies he led won the National Gold Medal award for parks and recreation management. Jim observes that there are many more professionals in the field today with more skills and education than when he began. He sees the field as more entrepreneurial and revenue driven than in the past, and he recognizes the skills of professionals to collaborate to get things done in their communities. He advises to honor your word, admit your mistakes and correct them, share credit with your staff, be consistent, and do the right thing. He emphasizes that you should be willing to take risks and to dare; to challenge yourself to grow and develop, and to be passionate about what you’re doing.

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Douglas Sessoms

Throughout the interview Dr. Sessoms answers questions and talks about his ideas for the field. His primary mentors were Harold Meyer, Charles Brightbill and Al Sapora.

Dr. Sessoms got his start in parks and recreation through participating in activities in the park located two blocks from his house. He then worked summers with the local recreation department.

Dr. Sessoms talks about the field of education in parks and recreation. He feels that the primary degree for going into the field as a practitioner should be a Master’s Degree followed by an internship.

He talks about changes in skills needed in the field with an emphasis on change from leadership toward more administrative skills.

He talks about the State Recreation Commission in North Carolina and the Park Districts in Illinois and what may happen in the future.

Dr. Sessoms talks about his experiences in teaching and his work on the Accreditation Council. He talks about how the Accreditation Council has shaped park and recreation education. He talks about what is needed in education and where we are going. He also talks about the relationship between the educators and professionals in the field.

He gives advice to young people coming into the profession on their education and experience in the field.

He is very positive on the future of parks and recreation.

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Carol Morgan Severin 1929 - 2019

After receiving a Master of Science Degree in Recreation from San Francisco State University in 1961, Carol began a 42-year teaching career for the Recreation, Parks & Tourism Department (1961-2002). Every class she taught introduced students to recreation, parks, and tourism through experiential education.

Her distinguished accomplishments has been recognized throughout her career including receiving the prestigious Pugsley Medal by the American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration in 2000, a Fellowship Award for her professional service from the California Park and Recreation Society in 2013, a lifetime achievement award from the national Society for Outdoor Recreation Professionals in 2014, and the Jim Meredith Award of Distinction from the California Association of Recreation and Park Districts in 2014.

Upon retirement, Carol found herself continuing the work of bringing people and parks together as the director for the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District Board for 14 years followed by an elected, Board of Directors position for 20 years at the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD). Her leadership was directly responsible for expanding recreation programs and opportunities across East Bay’s 122,000+ acres of 773 regional parks, recreation areas, wilderness, shorelines, preserves, and land bank areas; significantly increasing access and usage among park visitors particularly youth, seniors, and underrepresented populations; creating loop trails within Alameda and Contra Costa parks to facilitate access and engagement with nature; and most recently, establishing an internship program where university students continue Carol’s work of connecting people with the outdoors.

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Kathy Spangler is the Director of the Virginia Office on Volunteerism and Community Services. Kathy’s 20-year tenure (1987-2007) at National Recreation and Park Association include serving in numerous roles such as Northeast Regional Director, American Park and Recreation Society Staff Liaison, Health and Wellness Director, and Founding Director of National Programs. During this time she successfully established initiatives in the areas of health promotion, youth sports safety, and environmental stewardship. Most recently, Kathy held a five-year post as executive director for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution.

Kathy established significant external partnerships to enhance systems with evidenced based initiatives and promote the benefits of parks and recreation. Her innovative approaches to partnering with local park and recreation agencies resulted in major initiatives: multi-disciplinary research, public policy, best practices, and awareness-building for the profession are her greatest contributions to the field.

Innovation, growth, development, and lasting impact are the key descriptors of Kathy Spangler’s contributions throughout her career in parks, recreation, and human services.

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Robert Stanton
Beginning as a seasonal ranger at Grand Teton National Park in 1962, Robert Stanton served the National Park Service (NPS) as a ranger, superintendent, deputy regional director, assistant director, and regional director of the National Capital Region before retiring in January 1997. In August 1997 he accepted President Clinton’s invitation to become the 15th director of the NPS. He was unanimously confirmed by the US Senate and was its first African American head. During his time as director, Stanton implemented several initiatives aimed at enhancing the visitor experience and conserving the natural and cultural resources of the national parks. He prioritized the maintenance and restoration of park infrastructure, ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy the parks' beauty and historical significance.

Stanton also played a crucial role in expanding the diversity of the NPS workforce. Recognizing the importance of representing all Americans in the agency, he actively promoted the recruitment and hiring of individuals from underrepresented communities. This commitment to diversity and inclusion has had a lasting impact on the NPS and has helped to make the parks more accessible and welcoming to all visitors.

After he retired as director in 2001, Stanton accepted academic positions teaching graduate students at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M University, and in the History Department at Howard University. He currently serves on the board of directors of several national conservation and youth-serving organizations.

Robert Stanton's tenure as director of the National Park Service was marked by his unwavering commitment to the preservation and accessibility of our nation's natural and cultural treasures. His efforts to enhance the visitor experience, conserve park resources, and promote diversity within the agency have had a lasting impact on the NPS and the millions of people who visit America's national parks each year.

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R. Dean Tice was the Executive Director of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) from 1986 to 2001. During his tenure, he transformed the organization, increasing its net worth from $430,000 to $9 million, membership from 14,000 to 23,500, and annual advertising revenues from $90,000 to $1.3 million. He also established NRPA's international presence, most prominently with protocol agreements with seven nations.

Tice's most notable accomplishments include developing the National Playground Safety Institute (NPSI) and certifying 6,700 Playground Safety Inspectors across the country; starting the Agency Accreditation program, which by 2001 had more than 30 accredited agencies; developing the NRPA National Programs Office, which facilitated partnerships with entities such as the National Football League and the United States Tennis Association; and led the development of NRPA's first Membership Needs Survey and Strategic Plan, which helped to focus the organization's efforts on the issues that were most important to its members.

Tice also increased the organization's influence on Capitol Hill by working tirelessly to raise awareness of the benefits of park and recreation services, both to the public and to policymakers. Tice helped pass the Land and Water Conservation Act and launched a fundraising campaign that generated a $1 million challenge grant gift and resulted in the construction of a new headquarters building for NRPA.

Tice's legacy is one of transformation and innovation. He left NRPA a stronger, more vibrant organization that is better equipped to serve its members and the public. His accomplishments are a testament to his dedication and commitment to the parks and recreation field.

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• Founding of the Special District Forum in 1972, the first time special districts in parks met to exchange ideas and programs. These were subsequently annual meetings.
• Initiated the first nonfederal park foundation for East Bay in 1967-68.
• Developed the first "Adopt-A-Park" program in 1979, as a response to the fiscal constraints of Proposition 13.
• First local park agency to hire lobbyists to aid legislation in Sacramento (1968) and in Washington DC (1972).
• First local park agency to hire female public safety officers.
• Advocacy of emphasizing the importance of economic benefits associated with parks, exemplified by commissioning an economic benefits study of East Bay in 1978.

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James Truncer

Early Profressional Years

James (Jim) Truncer was raised in New Jersey, virtually living within the New Jersey state parks because his father was a long-term employee of the New Jersey state park system. Jim worked, even as a high school student, in the New Jersey state parks.

Jim attended Michigan State University, earning his B.S. degree in park management, and an M.S. degree in natural resources development.

Professionals who influenced Jim and served as mentors include Charles Doell, Director of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Harold Schick, Director of Oregon state parks, Bill Mott, Director of California state parks and Director of the National Park Service, Conrad Wirth, Director of the National Park Service, and significantly, Jim’s father, who had a 40-year tenure with the New Jersey state parks.

Jim's first full-time position was with the National Park Service's northeast office, followed by employment with the New Jersey state park system, as a program officer for the state's “green acres” program. The green acres program, voter approved in 1961, authorized $60 million for New Jersey park and open space acquisition, which Jim helped to implement.

Professional Career

Jim cites his most significant career accomplishment as serving as executive director of the Monmouth County park commission, and providing leadership for the system's acquisition of open space and regional parks, now representing over 12,000 acres with 34 facilities. Jim is proud of the park commission's staff diversity and their strong professional leadership.

Jim cites the ability to “get along” and “work with other people,” as an important skill to possess for becoming a successful administrator. The reality that, “no one individual can do it alone” reflects Jim's philosophy to network with community and business leaders to gain their confidence and support.

Jim discusses the need for increased diversity among park and recreation professionals as the most significant challenge facing the profession. Over-specialization may work to a person's disadvantage in a period of time where diverse skills and a broad spectrum of creativity and flexibility are required.

Jim discusses his appreciation for historical preservation and the importance of preserving natural resources, citing the need for balance and “blending” of special places which provide solitude, as well as places which serve large numbers of users for active recreation. Jim urges professionals to take a “big picture view” of the park and recreation profession, working to build a constituency of local citizens.

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Joseph Truncer

Truncer details his entry into the profession through his inspiration from Gifford Pinchot and his hero Teddy Roosevelt. He outlines the process and the speed by which the Civilian Conservation Corps instituted camps which first served youths, then veterans, then the general public in his state.

Truncer talks of the bond issues, legislation, and public support that allowed New Jersey to be among the first to fund recreation open space and to set aside one third of its area in open land.

He recalls the political process which kept high rise projects from invading a preserved battlefield. Active in the National Conference on State Parks and in the American Institute for Park Executives,he attended the meeting of agency representatives(in Laurence Rockefeller's office)which spawned the creation of the National Recreation and Park Association merger.

In terms of the need for leisure services, he compares today's environment with that of the depression in the Thirties. He sees challenges in the growth of fees and charges, loss of federal funding, and the need for visibility and credibility for the profession.

Highlights of his career included Connie Wirth's quick approval of his New Jersey CCC program, the creation of a separate division for State Parks in New Jersey, and his appointment as a Republican by a Democratic Governor as the first Director of the Division.

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Louis Twardzik

Lou Twardzik was born in a small coal mining community in Pennsylvania where regard for open space and/or natural resource management was minimal. However, while participating in the boy scout program, and earning the rank of eagle scout, Lou developed a system of values related to the out-of-doors.

Lou received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Notre Dame and subsequently, his M.S. degree in park and recreation administration from Indiana University. His first professional position was that of state recreation consultant with the Tennessee state park system. In this position, Lou worked with local Tennessee communities to develop park and open space plans.

Career mentors to Lou include Dr. Raleigh Barlow, Chairman of the Resource Development department at Michigan State University, and Charles Doell, Director of the Minneapolis Park & Recreation board. Each of these individuals helped Lou develop a philosophical foundation regarding parks, recreation and open space, helping to create a comprehensive vision for quality park and recreation services. In fact, Lou cites the broadening role of parks and recreation in local community development as one of the major changes he has seen within the park and recreation field. Integration of park and recreation services into the social, economic and cultural aspects of local communities is cited by Lou as not only positive, but essential in the provision of comprehensive park, recreation and open space services to local municipalities.

Professional Career and National Leadership

Lou cites his most significant career accomplishment to be his service as a professor at Michigan State University, where 50 % of his position involved teaching and student advising; the other 50 % of his faculty position was with the Michigan State cooperative extension service, where Lou provided local communities with park and recreation consulting. This work helped communities identify potential partnerships in diverse areas of their communities, leading to support and expanded park, recreation and open space opportunities for local citizens.

Lou Twardzik's advice to young professionals is to seek out, and work with, a good mentor who can share their professional experiences. Additionally, Lou underscores the importance of early work experience in a strong park and recreation agency so as to benefit from solid, practical work experience.

A challenge which Lou Twardzik describes in some detail relates to the integration of aesthetics into the park and recreation discipline, especially at the local level. Lou stresses the importance of assessing the relationship of aesthetics within the community to improve the quality of life. Lou concludes, “if park and recreation professionals don't advocate for aesthetic quality, who will?”

A discussion is provided regarding Lou's leadership in establishing the National Commission for Accreditation of local park and recreation agencies, which sets forth minimum standards for quality park and recreation services at the local level. Lou concludes the interview by underscoring the importance of park and recreation as a positive influence, not only for local communities, but for the impact and benefit such services can provide to the individual human experience.

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Stewart L. Udall was the 38th Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969 under President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson. As a passionate advocate for the environment and public lands, he oversaw the addition of four national parks, six national monuments, eight national seashores and lakeshores, nine national recreation areas, twenty national historic sites, and fifty-six national wildlife refuges.

After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Udall graduated from University of Arizona and Yale Law School, returned to Arizona and entered politics. He served in the Arizona State House of Representatives from 1955 to 1959, and in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1959 to 1961. In 1961, President Kennedy appointed Udall Secretary of the Interior.

As Secretary of the Interior, Udall was a strong advocate for conservation and environmental protection playing a key role in the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964, the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1964.

Udall left office in 1969 and returned to Arizona. He died in 2010 at the age of 90.

A revered figure in the environmental and conservation movement, Udall is remembered for his strong leadership and his commitment to protecting America's natural treasures for future generations.

In 2013, the Udall Foundation established the Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus® Program to connect youth to nature and our Nation's public lands through photography and outdoor learning. The program is named in honor of Udall's legacy of conservation and his belief that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the beauty and wonder of America's public lands.

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Betty Van der Smissen

Dr. Van der Smissen’s career determination was the result of participation in many activities when she was young as there were no recreation agencies at that time. Her choice of scholastic emphasis was based on her love of the outdoors.

One of the activities she is most proud of is her work with students. She has supervised work on many Masters Thesis and Doctoral Dissertations.

One of the areas Dr. Van der Smissen has been a leader is accreditation. She started work of accreditation in the area of camping. Then she moved on to the area of college and university accreditation and she is presently involved in accreditation of park and recreation agencies. The purpose of accreditation is to raise the quality of services at the agencies involved in accreditation.

She is known for her research and writing and she promotes the research dissertations. Use every media we can to get people to do their best. We need to challenge people to do a better job.

Betty’s writing is based on things she has done and experienced. She writes to share those experiences with others. Much of her work today is based on management of Parks and Recreation agencies. She also focuses on youth and human service. What can recreation do for people. Leaders today need to understand people, they need to build on history and be aware of what’s going on in society and do their work with quality.

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Judy Weiss, CPRE, began her career with the City of Scottsdale in 1979 as a part-time recreation leader, completing her service as Scottsdale’s Parks and Recreation Director in 2007. In 1994, Judy was successful in attaining Arizona's first national accreditation for parks and recreation agencies as a pilot organization. Judy served 3 terms on the national Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) serving as Chair from 2001-2003. With Accreditation, Judy has presented at numerous conferences, including State, ICMA, NRPA, and MWR events, published multiple articles, developed and conducted advanced training workshops for the NRPA and local agencies.

Judy served for two and a half years as the Assistant Parks and Recreation Director for the City of El Paso, Texas where she oversaw the management of 15 recreation centers, 9 senior centers, 15 indoor and outdoor public pools, as well as all recreation programming for this diverse, urban, border city.

From 2011 until 2015, Judy served as the Director of Parks and Recreation for Coconino County, Arizona. At 18,000 square miles, Coconino County is the second largest County in the lower 48 states. Judy was responsible for more than 3000 acres of developed park and natural area open space. During her tenure, Judy developed several public private partnerships in a County regional park near Flagstaff that generated more than $10 million of economic impact to the area.

Judy concluded her career, retiring from the City of Phoenix in 2021 as the Deputy Parks and Recreation Director. With a population of 1.5 million, Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. and boasts the nation’s largest municipally managed park system, encompassing over 47,000 acres. Judy managed a $105 million operating budget; $30 million annual capital improvement budget sourced from a voter-approved sales tax; all department accounting and contracting functions; department-wide Information Technology; and Parks Development which includes park design, renovation, new park construction and land use planning.

Judy is a past Chair of the National Certification Board, a former faculty member of the NRPA Directors School, a past president of the Arizona Parks and Recreation Association, and a former Board Member of the American Park and Recreation Society (APRS). She was inducted into the Academy in 2006 and attained her CPRE certification in 2011.

Judy earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and a master’s degree in public administration from Arizona State University. Judy is also a Certified Firefighter II, serving for 10 years on the City of Scottsdale's Fire Support Program, as the first female Engineer and Crew Lieutenant.

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Conrad Wirth

Conrad (Connie) Wirth, Director of the National Park Service(terms under Presidents Coolidge through Kennedy), reviews the early development (from 1906) of the Minneapolis Park Department by his father, Theodore.

Wirth also details the history of the Civilian Conservation Corps and its effects on the park and recreation movement, and describes the acquisition techniques(public and philanthropic cooperation)for the Eastern parks (Mammoth Cave, the Smokies, Everglades and Shenandoah). His inside story of the building of Camp David, the Cape Cod project(first authorized by federal money), and the success of the Mission 66 Project depict the personal and political ramifications of his position.

Wirth sprinkles his conversation with personal reflections on the early Park Service role and philosophy under several different Secretaries of the Interior and closes with an optimistic look for conservation focus in the next century.

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Joe Wynns’ 30+ years with the Indianapolis Parks and Recreation Department demonstrates what can be accomplished when a strong professional commitment is combined with persistence and optimism.

Raised in Summerville, S.C., which was still in the throes of segregation, Joe viewed sports as a way to achieve personal success and financial security. He received an athletic scholarship to South Carolina State University for football and basketball where he earned his degree in health and physical education. Drafted by the Atlanta Falcons he was traded to the Chicago Bears where he was released to join the Indianapolis football franchise of the International League. Joe taught high school during the off-season before he discovered opportunities for employment with the parks and recreation department. He was hired as a seasonal park supervisor and after one season he quit his teaching position to go to work full time as an assistant manager of a new community center. No one could have predicted that this would be the beginning of a long and successful career of leadership with the Nation’s 10th largest city.

Joe realized that for him to maximize his opportunity to advance he needed more education in his newly adopted field. He earned a master’s degree in recreation from Indiana State University and an associate’s degree in public administration from Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). Over time Joe received promotions to district recreation supervisor and superintendent of recreation. He worked for eight directors, observing and learning from each until he was selected to that position. Joe worked for five mayors and learned you can’t separate professionalism from politics so it’s critical to work within the system to achieve success.

Over one eight-year period under Joe Wynns’ leadership the Indianapolis parks and recreation system made tremendous advances building a world class nature center, six community centers, 15 miles of greenways, 30 playgrounds, two swimming pools, an arts center, and numerous park renovations. In addition, the Indy parks and recreation system earned national accreditation, increased funding, was a Gold Medal finalist and hosted the annual Congress of the National Recreation and Park Association.

While the city of Indianapolis has had some excellent leadership over its history, none achieved the level of support or accomplished as much for the people of Indy as Joe Wynns. Indianapolis is a better place to live as a result of Joe’s 30-year’s of inspired leadership and professional commitment.

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