IPRA Today

"Conceal Carry - Find Out How Conceal Carry Laws Affect Your Agency And Parks" at the Facilitiy Management Section meeting March 7 (free), "Sponsorship 101: Prospecting, Asking for Dollars, and Relationship Building" at the Recreation, Diversity, and Communications and Marketing sections meeting March 12 (free), "Building Positive Partnerships with Parents" at the Winter Directors Workshop on March 14 ($25), "Best Tactics to Pitch Stories to Local Media" at the Communications & Marketing meeting on April 17 (free), and "Strategic Planning" at the Innovation Renovation Workshop on April 25 ($50 includes lunch).

Further, we have events coming up where you can learn more about IPRA and our new five year plan and how you fit. This includes the IPRA Strategic Plan Roll Out Events on March 13 in Geneseo (northwest, IL, part of a NWIAPR event, $10 for lunch), March 13 in Decatur (central, IL, part of a CIRCLE meeting, additional registration to attend CIRCLE), March 20 in Bartlett (Chicago-Metro), and April 4 in Mt Vernon (southern, IL, before the SIPRA meeting). 

Additionally, you can learn more about IPRA or just come for free networking at the Quarterly Open House events. The next one is May 30.

We also have free quarterly webinars for new members or members looking to review how to access their benefits. The next one is March 28. 

For southern Illinois members, you may also feel free to attend our upcoming IPRA Board meeting on March 7 in Fairview Heights, IL at 7:30 AM.

We also have the IPRA Leadership Academy Graduation coming up on April 11.

Another educational opportunity that is new this year is our Skills Development Webinar Series. For $249, you can sign up for monthly webinars. Many agencies are seeing the cost savings in inviting a group of staff (or even a neighboring agency) to call in on a single phone line and attend the webinars as a group at significant cost savings. All attendees may receive CEUs for no additional cost. The next topic, "The Better Business Model - Creative Ideas to Boost the Bottom Line" will be on March 12 and March 20. A list of topics for the year are available on our website.

For a list of all of our upcoming educational opportunities and to register for any of these events, please go to www.ilipra.org and use the calendar on the left side of the home page. IPRA wants to ensure that you receive the value for your dues dollars, so we hope that you will take advantage of these free and low cost events to continue your professional development, network with others, and learn more about our association together.

-Debbie Trueblood, CAE
Executive Director

 

One of my favorite fiction books is set in Orange Beach at the Gulf State Park.  Andy Andrews, author of The Noticer, started his book by telling the true story of his life at its lowest point.  His parents had died, he had made a number of bad decisions and he was homeless in Orange Beach, living under the Gulf State Park pier.  He talks about a person he had never met, named Jones, visiting him one day under the pier.  Over time Jones carefully provided Andy with enough perspective to start over and believe in the possibilities of his life.  Andy is now a New York Times best-selling author and an international speaker, but at one point he fished for his food and lived under a pier. 

Throughout the book, The Noticer, Jones visits people in crisis yet quickly disappears once they have gained perspective and have changed their approach to life.  He plays an important role and ultimately helps them get on track to enjoy their lives and their loved ones to the fullest. Jones is really quite mysterious though, because when the book was over I wasn’t sure he was a person, a spiritual leader, a figment of their imagination or simply a metaphor.  Whatever he was, he had a gift and he gave it with others.  He noticed things that most people didn’t and he shared his observations and changed people’s lives.

Are we the "Jones" in our communities?  Are we providing our residents and customers with perspective about what is important in life?  Are we encouraging people to enjoy every moment by offering them programs and facilities that promote physical fitness, family values and the appreciation of open space?  If we aren’t, we should be. 

Parks, recreation and conservation professionals provide perspective and encourage people to learn a new skill, to walk in a park, to connect with a neighbor or live a healthy lifestyle.  We help people rise above the angst of the daily news and the stress of everyday life. 

The Illinois Park and Recreation Association should be the "Jones" for our members.  It is our goal to provide you with the incredible perspective that what you do is vital to the health and well-being of the communities in Illinois.  It is our job to give you the tools to do your job more effectively and efficiently.  We should help you "walk the walk" and "talk the talk" as you come in contact with politicians, voters and users of your services.

Alison Neimela, Past-Chair of the IPRA Board has agreed to take on yet another role in our association.  This time she is going to chair the Community Campaign Task Force where she and her "dream team" will research and ultimately develop a marketing/public awareness campaign for use in your communities.  Only a few remember Life. Be in it.  A few more remember Take Time for Fun and most recently, Parks and Recreation:  The Benefits are Endless.  It’s time for a new campaign; one that will help you promote the value of quality, well-rounded, safe and diverse recreation programs and services in your communities.

The song Mr. Jones by the Counting Crows will always remind me of working at the Rugen Center for the Glenview Park District.  It was a time in my career when we had an incredibly close-knit group of staff working together, doing great work and laughing our way through each day!  I smile every time I hear the song!  Little did we know that the phenomenon in The Noticer would take on this very common name.  While the name is common, the concept of providing perspective is exceptional. 

I encourage you to be a Noticer.  Look around, savor the moment and continue to provide high quality, life-changing services to your community. 

You are doing amazing work and you are changing people’s lives. 

We’ve noticed.


-Jan Hincapie, Director of Parks & Recreation
Lincolnwood Parks & Recreation Dept.