IPRA Today

Illinois Park and Recreation

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Towards that end, we have done a magazine article about it, a newsletter article about it, the power point presentation and talking points are available on our website, and we have done in-person events all over the state in Hoffman Estates, Bartlett, Decatur, Geneseo, and Wauconda with additional dates coming up in Tinley Park and Mt Vernon. Further, we have done small group presentations for the IPRA Past Chairs, Membership Council, Section Boards, the Foundation Board (upcoming) and we have presented it in short form at a quarterly open house at IPRA.

One of the areas in the new plan that we have been busy implementing is our new governance model. In the past few years, the IPRA board met six times a year, always in the Chicago suburban area. This year, we wanted to venture out together, so the IPRA board and I are meeting four times, each time in a different region of the state. When we meet, we are taking the opportunity to have a meal with our local VIPs and affiliate groups and then staying in town to engage in a park and recreation event in the community together. We have already had two of our four meetings for the year in Lincolnwood and Fairview Heights respectively. These regional events allow the board to really engage in IPRA locally across the state.

In Lincolnwood, we had the pleasure of sharing dinner with the boards of Midwest Institute for Park Executives (MIPE), South Suburban Park and Recreation Professional Association (SSPRPA), and Suburban Park and Recreation Association (SPRA). This was an exciting opportunity for our groups to network together and learn from each other. My thanks to IPRA Board Chair and Director of the Lincolnwood Parks & Recreation Department, Jan Hincapie, for helping us set up the event and to Barbara Cremin, Supt. of Administrative Operations at the Glenview Park District for her presentation on the IPRA Salary Survey Task Force.

In Fairview Heights, we shared dinner with past IPRA Chairs Mark Badasch and George Whitehead, as well as board members from South Illinois Parks and Recreation Professional Association (SIPRA) and key southern Illinois volunteers. In southern Illinois the IPRA board and I also attended a SIPRA board meeting and many SIPRA/IPRA members attending the IPRA board meeting as well. This was an excellent opportunity to spend some face time together making connections. The IPRA board and I are always on the look-out to identify ways we can better serve IPRA members in all parts of the state.

As an additional piece of our new governance model, we focused our first meeting on Board training on governance issues and our annual board orientation, but we added a secondary training at our second board meeting. This was a focus on the governance subtopic of ethics, to ensure our board is always up to date on the latest issues in ethics. Further, we spent the bulk of our time together that day on the topic of parks and recreation in southern Illinois - the history, the needs, the economic and political pressures, etc. My thanks to Mary Jeanne Hutchison, IPRA Board Member/Director of O'Fallon Parks and Recreation Department and Angela Beaston, Parks and Recreation Director, City of Fairview Heights for helping us to set up this event. My thanks to George Whitehead, Mark Badasch, and Southern Illinois University student Torri Withrow for presenting.

Our final two board meetings will be in the fall in Rockford and Springfield. We will be hosting similar events in these communities for local leaders and affiliate groups.

If you have any questions about our new strategic direction or have suggestions for ways we can serve you better, do not hesitate to contact me.

Debbie Trueblood, CAE
Executive Director


 
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
For the past three IPRA/IAPD conferences Carrie Fullerton, Executive Director of the Bloomingdale Park District and I have presented a session about ways to create balance in our lives.  We have had different people on our presenting team so we could bring a variety of perspectives to our participants.  We have approached this topic from the perspective of working moms, but the information is transferable to everyone.

Creating balance is tough.  In Parks and Recreation it is difficult even if you don’t have a family.  There are many times that a work-out or dinner with a friend gets cancelled when something goes wrong at work.  This year, for the first time, I had a Park Board meeting on the day of my son’s 9th birthday.  Ouch.

The good news is there are ways to cope.  There is a support system in our field, not just for moms, but for parents, single moms and dads, and those of us in the "sandwich generation" taking care of our aging parents.  This was evident in the attendance and the support shown at our sessions over the years.  You showed us that you are hungry for information and a peer group. 

When Margaret Resnick, Executive Director of the Mundelein Park District, spoke with us this year she said she felt a bit like a hypocrite.  The truth is none of us have all the answers.  All of us do the best we can to be good employees and save the best for the ones we love.  We need to include ourselves in the list of ones we love.  We have to make sure we nurture and care for ourselves because, above all, we can’t help others if we can’t help ourselves.

So, I am going to share a couple of tips given in our session.  The first is one you have heard from me before. 

Live in the Moment.  Wherever you are...be there.  When you are at work, focus on your work.  Be the best employee you can be.  When you are home, focus on home.    You can’t get this moment back.  Remember my mantra:  Learn from the Past, Plan for the Future and Perform in the Moment.

Assume that unexpected events will occur.  Yes, the daycare will close.  Your car may not start.  The kids are going get sick.  Plan for the unexpected and have things lined up when the train jumps the track.  We do it in our jobs.  We have to use that skill at home.  Just knowing that there is a back-up plan will help relieve the stress of anticipating the wheels falling off.  Incidentally, we had my son’s birthday dinner the night before and I left work the day of his birthday, picked him up from school that afternoon, spent some quality time with him and then returned to my meeting later in the evening.  In spite of my fretting, it all worked out.

Take Care of You.  This is where I am a bit of a hypocrite.  As a former fitness instructor, marathon runner, and triathlete in my 20’s and 30’s, I am not the poster child for "recovering" from my two pregnancies and life-balance in my forties.  We all try to eat right and exercise, but consistency is the key to success.  I struggle with this.  I do my best to surround myself with inspiring individuals that make fitness a priority like fellow professionals, LoriKay Paden, Matt Wehby and Lori Neubauer, the Chair of our Health and Wellness Committee.  While I may not always follow the rules, you remind me of what is important.

Spend as much time outside as inside.  Didn’t most of us discover parks and recreation, and ultimately choose the profession because we love being outside?  So, why are we, of all people, sitting at a desk for eight hours a day?  Get up, put on comfortable shoes and get outside.  Wear clothes that allow you to be comfortable and appropriate, at your desk and out in the park.   Does anyone feel anxious after going to a late night meeting?  There’s nothing that cures that better than a late night walk with the dog.  I did this during the winter in the falling snow.  I went to bed happy and relaxed!  For those of us with kids, they love being outside!  Go out and have some fun.

Unplug from Technology.  In an article "Children Living in the 21st Century" quotes were taken from kids regarding their parents’ phone habits.  One child said, "My Mom talks on the phone the whole time she is driving.  She doesn’t even say "goodbye" when I get out of the car."  Implement rules for yourself, your family and your staff.  I am not telling you to turn off your phone completely.  Sometimes we can’t do that.  I am telling you to check your phone once an hour instead of every two minutes.  Trust your staff when you are out of the office.  It is okay to occasionally unplug as long as you know you have back-up in place.  Social media is also a time sucker.  As I write this I am planning to give up Facebook for Lent.  As a self-proclaimed "people junkie" this will be very hard, but I need to make the commitment and stick with it.  Imagine all the time I will have to dedicate to other things (like exercise!).

Ask for Help.  As Actor Larry Eisenberg said, "For peace of mind, we need to resign as general manager of the universe".  Part of finding balance involves letting go of control, acknowledging that some parts of your life can be left to others whether it is a staff person, family member or someone you hire.  That doesn’t make you weak of incompetent.  It simply allows for others to gain experience and confidence.  It shows that you trust them to get the job done.  It allows you more time to do other things.                 

I encourage you to get your hands on a copy of the January, 2014 issue of Real Simple magazine.  This issue is chock-full of ideas as to how you can simplify your life and find your balance.  One of the secondary goals of our session was to point out the positive benefits of a dual-income family.  We talked about things like being able to build college funds, serving as a role model for our kids, having dual insurance, and numerous benefits like free camp!

Knowing that our tween daughter is seeing me as a motivated, happy professional gives me great satisfaction and pride.  So, now is your time to step back, take a deep breath and smile.  You really do have the best of both worlds...and so does your family.

-Jan Hincapie, Executive Director
Village of Lincolnwood Parks & Recreation Department


       
       
 
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  • Assistant Fitness Manager, Dundee Township Park District
  • Support Staff Manager, Fox Valley Special Recreation Association
  • Part-time Marketing Assistant, Lake in the Hills Park & Recreation Department
  • Intrepretive Facility Coordinator, Forest Preserve District of Will County
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