IPRA Today

Greetings!

First, I hope that everyone registers to attend the 2nd Annual Education Institute on April 26. This event is our big member benefit event of the year!  We want to provide this opportunity to our members statewide, so we will have an in-person location in Oak Brook as well as remote viewing opportunities in Champaign, Huntley and Edwardsville. Each location will have a lunch provided and will be an opportunity for you to network, in person, with other IPRA members in your area. Our speaker this year is Ian Hill; humanitarian, business leader, social entrepreneur and award-winning philanthropist.

Ian has been a keynote speaker at NRPA and several other park and recreation state association conferences including Florida, Rhode Island, Michigan, Missouri and Northern New England. When he was growing up his life was influenced by someone in parks and recreation who he credits as turning his life around. Fast forward, he has become an entrepreneur and nonprofit leader in the US and Canada. He has been described as "North America’s leading advocate for those in the recreation and parks profession." Prior attendees have said this about him:


Ian was recently the keynote speaker at IPRA’s Professional Development School in Decatur.  
IPRA attendees said this about him: 


IPRA pays more than 50 percent of the per-person cost for this event as a way to give back to our members. Registration is already open for this April 26 event on IPRA’s website. Again, there are viewing locations in Edwardsville, Oak Brook, Huntley and Champaign. You will not want to miss this event!

Speaking of education, the first class of the IPRA Leadership Academy program is getting ready to graduate. Graduation is April 12. Each graduate has been given two tickets to attend graduation. The Education Committee is working hard to finalize plans for the second year of the program using evaluations from this year’s attendees. It will be one day a month for six months and there will continue to be three levels of training: early career, mid-career and advanced career. In year two, all attendees will come to class on the same day each month to allow for cross-level networking and mentoring. Additionally, we have added a group assignment component and networking events. Applications will open on graduation day, April 12, and we will accept applications until 8 a.m. on Monday, June 3. Only 30 people per level will be accepted into this competitive program.

Finally, speaking of our plans for the future, IPRA is involved in our strategic planning focus groups around the state. Next week, our strategic planning consultant, Dr. Ann Atkinson, and I will be doing our strategic planning tour, joining up with our Chair, Allison Niemela. We have seven focus groups planned: one in southern Illinois (Mt. Vernon), one in central Illinois (Champaign), one in northwest Illinois (Rockford), two in the Chicago metro area (La Grange), one for all section boards and one for young professionals. Additionally, Ann, Allison and I will be meeting with local IPRA leaders and board members in each area. Ann and I are meeting in southern Illinois and working our way around the state. Many thanks to all the people who are hosting focus groups at their agencies or attending the focus groups to share their voices and participate in determining the future of IPRA. I look forward to seeing all of you at these focus groups and hearing what you have share. IPRA is your organization and we want to ensure that our future plan meets your needs.

If you have questions about any of these items, please feel free to email me at debbie@ilipra.org.

See you all soon at the Focus Groups, Leadership Academy Graduation (don’t forget to apply soon) and the Education Institute with Ian Hill! 

– Debbie Trueblood, CAE

 

Catch the Trade Winds in Your Sails

Over the past three years, IPRA has focused a lot of energy on making radical changes that will bring more value in return for your membership dollars. In 2010, Chairman Carrie Fullerton established a Strategic Planning Advisory Committee (SPAC) to develop a strategic plan to guide the association over the course of three years (2010-2013).

Good enough just wasn’t cutting it anymore.

More than ever, IPRA needed to be remarkable—remarkably innovative, remarkably driven and remarkably authentic. Radical change was required and radical change is what we received. 

The implementation of the three-year strategic plan started in 2011 under the direction of Chairman LoriKay Paden. The Membership Council was formed in an effort to make the organization more cohesive and streamline efforts across all sections. The IPRA Foundation was revived, and members created a Pay it Forward Campaign. A new logo and tagline rebranded the identity of IPRA.

Last year, Chairman John Curran took the bull by the horns and completed the second year of the three-year strategic plan with a heavy focus on education. Leaps and bounds were made by providing the first members-only Education Institute and Leadership Academy. Last October, we began the first Leadership Academy, an intensive six-month program created by Rick Hanetho, Jan Arnold and a dedicated committee of professionals. The program was designed to build great leaders for the future and strengthen the parks and recreation profession. The first graduating class will walk the stage on Friday, April 12. IPRA will accept applications for the 2013-2014 year from April 12 through Monday, June 3. 

Fast forward to today as IPRA is rounding out the third year of the current master plan while simultaneously developing a new three-year road map. IPRA is moving forward addressing the needs of the membership and working to build a stronger, more relevant member-centric organization.

Be sure to take full advantage of the 2nd Annual Education Institute, "Leadership in Changing Times," on Friday, April 26, featuring award-winning philanthropist Ian Hill. IPRA pays more than 50 percent of the per-person cost for the Education Institute, so this is a way for IPRA to give back to our members. Thanks to advances in technology, IPRA will be streaming live video feeds of Ian’s presentation in Champaign, Huntley and Edwardsville. 

Speaking of the future, IPRA is putting together a statewide tour of Illinois with our strategic planning consultant, Dr. Ann Atkinson, for the week of April 8. The strategic planning focus groups will begin in southern Illinois and work their way through central and northwestern Illinois. We have seven focus groups planned: southern Illinois, central Illinois, northwest Illinois, two in the Chicago Metro area, one for all section boards and one for young professionals. Debbie Trueblood, Dr. Atkinson and I will also be meeting with local IPRA leaders and board members in each area. 

Thank you to all the members who contribute their time, talent and energy in rebuilding IPRA. Remember, this is your organization. The more you invest in it, the greater the value you will reap from it. Take full advantage of what IPRA has to offer so you can put your best foot forward as you "Learn. Connect. Inspire." 

– Allison Niemela, CPRP