O F F I C I A L
P U B L I C AT I O N
O F
C O L O R A D O
PA R K S
&
R E C R E AT I O N
32 SPRING 2021
SPRING 2021
PRESENTED BY
CHURCHICH RECREATION
PAR K professioS who go a nals and -beyo bovend the call of duty
ALSO INSIDE: • 2020 CPRA MEMBER AWARD WINNERS • THORTON PARTNERS WITH LOCAL GIRL SCOUT TROUP • 6 TIPS FOR RECRUITING & RETAINING VOLUNTEERS • ADAMS COUNTY STREET OUTREACH NETWORK • MILE HIGH YOUTH CORPS OFFERS SOLUTIONS
A S S O C I AT I O N
Deliver the perfect solution to keep your community healthy– physically and mentally. FitCore™ Extreme obstacle courses can be designed for teens and adults, or for kids ages 5 to 12 to deliver exciting fitness challenges in community parks and neighborhood gathering areas. The team at Rocky Mountain Recreation will help you meet your goals for your fitness or playground environments.
Make the most of your outdoor spaces during summer camps, outdoor meetings and community gatherings with SkyWays shade sails along with benches, picnic tables and other site amenities. And don’t forget the large-capacity hand sanitizer stations throughout all the playground and recreation spaces. Contact your local playground consultant Rocky Mountain Recreation at info@rmrec.com or 2 • Colorado Byline | Summer 2020 rmrec.com. 303-783-1452. Or visit
CONTENTS
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COLORADO PARKS & RECREATION ASSOCIATION PO BOX 1037 Wheat Ridge, CO 80034 [P] 303-231-0943 [F] 303-237-9750 cpra@cpra-web.org www.cpra-web.org Allison Kincaid Executive Director allisonk@cpra-web.org
FEATURES 4 CPRA 2021 State of the Association Report By Allison Kincaid 6 Adams County Street Outreach Network By Lisa Nordholt 8 2020 CPRA Awards By CPRA Staff 14 PARKS HEROES presented by Churchich Recreation By CPRA Agency Directors 26
Thorton Partners with Local Girl Scout Troup By Mike Coulter
28
6 Tips for Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers By Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado
30 Mile High Youth Corps Offers Solutions By Jeslin Shahrezaei and Michele Kilen
Summer 2021 Byline + 2022 Buyer’s Guide Content/Ad Deadline: June 28, 2021 | Mails: August 2021 • Recreation Heroes – Recognizing recreation center, fitness, and aquatics staff throughout Colorado • Leadership Strategies – Advice from experienced directors • Trends for Active Spaces (indoors and out) – innovations for community centers, athletic fields, indoor and outdoor fitness, courts (tennis, pickleball, basketball, volleyball), and trails • 2021 Byline Photo Contest Winners Submissions open through June 4; submit entries at www.bit.ly/CPRAPhotoContest
ADVERTISER INDEX
Churchich Recreation – churchichrecreation.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC CivicPlus – civicplus.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Crawford Properties – eljebel.co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Delta Timber – deltatimber.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Discount Playground Supply – discountplaygroundsupply.com . . . . . . . . 31 Ground Solutions / Bedrock Slingers – groundsolutionsco.com. . . . . . . . . 13 Gyms for Dogs – GymsForDogs.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Horizon - horizononline.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 iZone Imaging - izoneimaging.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 John Deere - johndeere.com/local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 OLC - olcdesigns.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Pilot Rock - pilotrock.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Rocky Mountain Recreation - rmreccom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC
Colorado Byline is the quarterly publication of Colorado Parks & Recreation Association (CPRA) and is provided as a benefit to members. Submit your article to www. cpra-web.org/page/bylinearticlesub under publication resources. Submissions are edited and published as space allows. Letters to the editor, suggestions, comments and encouragement are welcome. Expressed opinions and statements in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinions of the CPRA board of directors or its membership.
Mission: Promote the parks and recreation profession and its growth throughout the State of Colorado. Vision: A dynamic, proactive organization that creates healthy residents and livable communities by promoting excellence in parks and recreation.
Ashley Perillo Professional Development Program Manager ashleyp@cpra-web.org Rachel Hungerbuhler Professional Development Program Coordinator rachelh@cpra-web.org Jillian Strogis Membership & Communications Coordinator jillians@cpra-web.org
Colorado Byline is the official member magazine of CPRA, Colorado Parks & Recreation Association. CPRA is a dynamic, proactive organization that creates healthy residents and livable communities by promoting excellence in parks and recreation.
2020-2021 CPRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Justin Perdue City of Greeley 970-350-9548 justin.perdue@greeleygov.com PRESIDENT-ELECT Hillary Roemersberger Apex Park & Recreation District 720-898-3412 hillaryr@apexprd.org SECRETARY/TREASURER Molly Elder City of Loveland 970-962-2728 molly.elder@cityofloveland.org AT-LARGE Leah Huffer-Solomon Denver Parks & Recreation 720-865-0825 leah.huffer@denvergov.org AT-LARGE Chad Redin City of Commerce City 303-289-3663 credin@c3gov.com AT-LARGE Clay Shuck City and County of Broomfield 303-460-6903 cshuck@broomfield.org AT-LARGE Mark Snow, CPRE, CTRS City of Colorado Springs 719-385-6958 mark.snow@coloradosprings.gov
2021 CPRA ADVISORY COUNCIL AAPS Cindy Hickman Town of Erie 303-926-2795 chickman@erieco.gov AQUATICS Philip Henry City of Boulder 303-413-7478 henryp@bouldercolorado.gov CARA Nicole Reeves Widefield Parks & Recreation District 719-391-3528 reevesn@wsd3.org DIRECTORS Alison Rhodes City of Boulder Parks & Recreation 303-413-7249 rhodesa@bouldercolorado.gov FACILITY MANAGEMENT Matt Pilger City of Boulder Parks & Recreation 303-441-3449 pilgerm@bouldercolorado.gov FITNESS Glen Batista Denver Parks & Recreation 720-865-0672 glen.batista@denvergov.org PARKS Tony Jaramillo City of Commerce City 303-289-8166 tjaramillo@c3gov.com PLAaY Sarah Gange City of Loveland 970-962-2467 sarah.gagne@cityofloveland.org TRSC Beth Gessert Denver Parks and Recreation-Adaptive Recreation 720-865-0826 elizabeth.gessert@denvergov.org PUBLISHER / ADVERTISING: Todd Pernsteiner, Publisher Pernsteiner Creative Group 952-841-1111 todd@pernsteiner.com www.pernsteiner.comw
GO DIGITAL View this issue online at cpra-web.org/page/byline. Keep up on all things CPRA via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Colorado Byline | Spring 2021 • 3
STATE OF THE ASSOCIATION
2021 State of the Association Report By Allison Kincaid, Executive Director, Colorado Parks & Recreation Association
Dear CPRA Members, What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time we were all faced with incredible uncertainty, facilities were closing and communities were struggling to come to grips with a pandemic. I don’t think that any of you need me to remind you of the challenges you faced in the last year but perhaps you might like a reminder of how incredible you’ve been in your willingness to adapt, persist, and continue to provide the important services and opportunities that your communities needed, at a time when they needed it the most. Your work did not go unnoticed and your contributions were recognized by our Governor, our CO State Department of Public Health & Environment, and Local Health Departments across the State. Looking back, it was an incredible time to be a part of this inspiring industry and to be able to work to advocate for all of you! A year later, we are looking forward to a Spring and Summer with far more certainty and an exciting recovery. While we aren’t in the clear yet, we can certainly see it on the horizon as more vaccines are made available every week and the most vulnerable populations are now protected. Like 2020, this Spring will be another one to remember! Just as you are working hard every day to restore services to your communities, CPRA is also navigating through this year of recovery. For this reason, I thought it would be a great time to share some important updates with all of you regarding our CPRA path to recovery and plans for the year.
CPRA Annual Conference
CARA Youth Sports
The last few months have provided our team with the opportunity to assess the state of budgets at many of our Parks & Recreation Member Agencies. It may not come as a surprise to you that most agencies have cut travel budgets and many have cut training. CPRA launched a webinar series early this year and quickly learned that many of you were unable to attend due to budget shortfalls and that scholarships were needed in order to get you all the training that you require.
For agencies interested in participating in the CARA Youth Sports Programs this year, we are excited to announce that we’ll be resuming this program starting June 1st. Contact the CARA Chair for the sport you are interested in to learn more. Or, feel free to reach out to Jillian (jillians@ cpra-web.org) to learn who that person is. We are very excited to bring sports back to our Colorado communities that are ready to get outside and resume play!
In addition to an uncertain landscape as far as funding for professional development, the meetings industry has also taken a hit. Snowmass, the location for this year’s Annual Conference, has alerted us that due to the many cancellations they have had for conferences, they are beginning a massive renovation to the hotel and conference center and cannot accommodate us this year.
Other CPRA Events
After careful thought and consideration, in addition to assessing the fiscal impact of the Annual Conference on CPRA, we have made the difficult decision to host our Annual Conference virtually again this year. We project that an in-person conference will result in CPRA losing at least $50K after fees, meals, room rates and the projected decline in registrations due to budget shortfalls. The fiscal impact of the pandemic on CPRA has been significant and we, unfortunately, are not in a position to subsidize an in-person conference by $50K or more. We ask for your understanding and recognize that the Annual Conference might just be the social event that we all need this year. We have begun plans for an improved virtual event and are hoping to plan an in-person Awards Banquet this fall so that we can all get together and celebrate our successes in person again! Keep an eye out for a call for Conference Session proposals and Awards nominations soon!
4 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
You may have all noticed the absence of some long-standing CPRA events this Spring. This includes the Parks Tradeshow and many Section Events that we are feeling the loss of keenly. However, be aware that our team is watching the pandemic recovery in our Industry closely and we look forward to bring opportunities back, especially for in-person learning and connections, as soon as possible! We do hope that you are all enjoying the other CPRA Member benefits in the meantime and we will continue to work toward building more and improved opportunities for you all. We are always open to hearing feedback on how we can support all of you, our CPRA Members, and hope you will consider sharing your ideas, feedback, and dreams for our Industry in Colorado by reaching out to any of us (contacts below). Keep up the great work, everyone, and remember that the work you do is incredibly important and so appreciated by your CPRA family! Sincerely, Allison Kincaid, Executive Director Ashley Perillo, Professional Development Program Manager Rachel Hungerbuhler, Professional Development Program Coordinator Jillian Strogis, Membership and Communication Coordinator
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Working Together to HELP OVERCOME Homelessness Adams County Street Outreach Network By Lisa Nordholt, PRG Strategic Initiatives Supervisor, Commerce City Parks, Recreation & Golf
“Most innovation comes from people working together, collaborating in teams.” Walter Isaacson
laundry; and helps fund Adams County Day Works, a program that provides nobarrier day labor and support services for people living outside.
Most of us know the importance of working together. In Adams County, we have used this approach for helping people experiencing homelessness. The multijurisdictional approach within Adams County has agencies working together towards common practices. While we all have our own internal staff, representatives from Adams County, Aurora, Commerce City, Northglenn, Thornton, and Westminster meet regularly (one to three times per month) to discuss ideas, challenges, and shared resources. Bennett, Brighton, and Federal Heights also participate but do not have dedicated staff for outreach services.
As more of the cities hire people dedicated to homelessness outreach, this network has been significant for training and program start-up assistance. All staff are quick to offer help with resources and new staff bring additional knowledge to the table. We have a Community of Practice for training such as motivational interviewing, trauma-informed considerations, inclusive language, and self-care.
In 2019, Adams County applied for, and received an Emergency Solutions Grant. This grant has helped to fund the street outreach initiative. The grant provides all jurisdictions with outreach supplies (food, clothing, blankets, first aid kits, etc.); a storage unit for shared supplies; allows for jurisdictions to have a P.O. Box where people without a mailing address use to receive mail; mobile showers and
The staff that provide street outreach visit encampments in parks, trails and open spaces to offer resources and guidance to transition to housing and assist them in acquiring benefits and work. It is an emotional job and they often hear that there is no solution to homelessness. This does not deter these community front-runners and they work tirelessly to help secure stability for those who need assistance. Homelessness knows no boundaries and neither do we.
Commerce City just hired our first Community Navigator-Homeless Outreach employee who started April 5. This network has helped us identify job duties, interview candidates, and share resources as we start the program. In the interim, they took time from their duties to come to our city to perform outreach with our unsheltered residents and allowed us to shadow them.
The staff that provide street outreach visit encampments in parks, trails and open spaces to offer resources and guidance to transition to housing and assist them in acquiring benefits and work. It is an emotional job and they often hear that there is no solution to homelessness. 6 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
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2021 CONFERENCE REGISTRATION! Photo Contest Categories: • Parks & Playgrounds • Recreation & Programming • Trails, Nature & Conservation
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ENTRY DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JUNE 4!
Enter your best programming and site photos. The CPRA member’s photo with the most votes wins “Best of Show” and a 2021 CPRA Conference registration. The top three photos receiving the most votes in each category will be featured in the Summer 2021 issue of CPRA BYLINE magazine.
Entries due by June 4, 2021 (5 p.m.). Online voting runs June 4-11, 2021. Photos taken between Jan. 1, 2020 and June 4, 2021 are eligible to be submitted. Questions? Email Todd Pernsteiner at todd@pernsteiner.com
See rules and submission info at www.bit.ly/CPRAPhotoContest
Colorado Byline | Spring 2021 • 7
2020 CPRA Awards The Colorado Parks & Recreation Association Awards Program is designed to recognize and celebrate the individuals and organizations that contribute to the success and value of parks and recreation in the state of Colorado. Designed to bring attention to its recipients, the awards program highlights the successes of association members and community champions. The sharing of new and creative programs is an additional benefit of involvement in the awards program. Excellence in parks and recreation is visible in many places. We encourage you to take notice of the parks and recreation programs, professionals and community champions that deserve recognition by nominating them for an award! The next award nomination deadline is July 15, 2021. Information can be found on the CPRA website under the Resources tab.
Section Awards
Presidents Awards
AAPS - Laura Schwenker, Apex Park and Recreation District
Ali Rhodes, City of Boulder Janet Bartnik, Mountain Recreation
AQUATICS - Bryan Gentilini, Town of Parker
Columbine Awards
CARA PROFESSIONALS OF THE YEAR – Errin Koon and Karinne Monn, Town of Parker, Kyle Parker, City of Lakewood; Beau Bressler, City of Golden; Wes Dulin, Foothills Park and Recreation District CARA LEGACY - Rene Kingsley, City of Longmont
8 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
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Design - may include new or renovated park and recreation facility design projects
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Innovation - may include marketing ideas, technology advances, communication, ‘green’ practices, partnerships, or operations
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Programming - may include any program or initiative that is create, fresh, and new
FACILITY MANAGERS Nolan Thill, Town of Parker PLAAY - Jennie Christoffel, City of Thornton TRSC - Brea Bolks, City of Aurora
COLUMBINE AWARD, Design: Crown Mountain Park Bike Park As the CMP Bike Park formally opened, its popularity was undeniable. Youth from across the valley, the region, and the state are drawn to this new venue. That section of the park is becoming one of the most popular areas with locals and visitors. Moreover, with so much of the park’s traditional activities cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, including all team sports and the park’s signature summer events, the bike park’s debut is particularly treasured as a safe, fun, and inherently socially distant recreation option. In the last two decades, the region’s population of under 35 years old grew by 40 percent, half of which is under 16 years old (Greater Roaring Fork Housing Study, RRC Associates, EPS, 2019). The park is serving this growing demographic and their families, while fostering an
Divided into three subcategories, Columbine awards are designed to highlight best practices and creative ideas in:
Crown Mountain Park Bike Park
active, outdoor lifestyle. In January, the Roaring Fork Valley was awarded a GOLD-LEVEL Ride Center designation by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA), recognizing the pinnacle of mountain biking
communities. It is the first area in Colorado to get the designation and only the seventh worldwide. The CMP Bike Park adds another key component to that designation.
Northglenn Kiwanis Pool
COLUMBINE AWARD, Design: Northglenn Kiwanis Pool Many of Northglenn’s annual summer events and gatherings are celebrated at Kiwanis Pool and Park. However, due to the aging facility the potential of the space was not being adequately utilized. The area was used but it was limited due to accessibility and non-stimulating water features and amenities. Kiwanis Pool and Park now directly promotes an active lifestyle that fosters an environment of collaboration and celebration. The splash pad draws crowds of families that let their children run and play in the water. While the
accessible bathhouse allows for participants to have a safe and secure area to stay for longer durations. People that live in the Northglenn community have expressed gratitude that they now have a nearby place to play, picnic, and relax. Annual events at Kiwanis include Flick N’ Float, as well as the end of summer Doggie Splash Day. Added in the summer of 2020 was the addition of the social distance Food Truck event at Kiwanis Park. The facility is utilized in a number of other ways to include for celebrations such as birthdays, and graduation all of which positively impact the community.
COLUMBINE AWARD, Design: Fort Collins Twin Silo Park Parks provide people with a sense of community. That is, they offer us a sense of belonging to a physical and social system. COVID-19 has deeply challenged this fundamental human sense of belonging, but thankfully, parks are able to contribute to recapturing some of this loss. Some of the fundamental characteristics of parks - open spaces, naturalistic settings, fresh air – avail themselves to citizens so they may renegotiate what it means to gather in community. More than ever people benefit from knowing their neighbors, attuning to others’ needs, learning from them and supporting them. The need for quality, enduring, authentic public places in our community is needed now more than ever. Twin Silo Park is an exemplary model of a park accomplishing this in extraordinary ways. Urban Adventurer, a national adventure-based website, recently identified Twin Silo Park as one of the “Coolest Playgrounds of 2018”, noting the playground is “not only fun, but also awe-inspiring to look at”.
Fort Collins Twin Silo Park
Colorado Byline | Spring 2021 • 9
COLUMBINE AWARD, Design: Foothills Clement Park An inclusive destination playground was a great opportunity to incorporate design that will encourage child development of important physical and social skills. The community has been enjoying this unique inclusive playground that incorporates music and performing arts themes. This project serves as a fun and free outdoor recreational option for the community surrounding Clement Park, as well as for all of its visitors. The new interactive design has increased user numbers by attracting families of neighboring communities who do not have an accessible, inclusive playground. According to recent estimates based on registrations, tournament rentals, shelter rentals, staff observations, and the Jefferson County Sheriff Department, Clement Park had over one million visitors: 600,000 playground and trail users; 152,500 for organized youth and adult athletic leagues and tournaments; 106,900 at festivals, concerts, and events; 65,000 using athletic fields and courts; and 98,500 users of other amenities, including the skate park, Columbine Memorial, and shelter rentals. Main user groups of the
Foothills Clement Park 10 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
playground include local children, children with special needs, summer camps, daycare centers, and sports associations. Many user groups that frequent the park for other activities enjoy the playground as well, including skate boarders, hikers, joggers, tournament participants, and people who have rented nearby shelters.
COLUMBINE AWARD, Innovation: Colorado Springs Exeloo Smart Restroom The integration of the Exeloo Smart Restroom into an urban park provides the ability to offer basic restroom facilities for our park users with a dramatic reduction in maintenance cost, a reduction on the burden of our men and women that work in our parks, and frankly, a better experience. Designed with smart engineering and innovative use of technology, the restroom offers an essential service while addressing many of the day to day maintenance concerns experienced in our traditional restrooms. The Exeloo unit includes auto-wash and automatic door features designed to ensure that the public restroom is used for their intended purpose. Each cubicle stall
is pre-programmed to lock down after 30 occupancies and complete an 8-minute toilet pan and floor cleaning cycle. Staff can also modify the cleaning cycle frequency based on needs. The system does not eliminate traditional cleaning but significantly reduces staff time, which positively impacts operational costs. Additionally, stainless steel sliding doors are pre-set to open a maximum occupancy time of 10 minutes, and a loud alarm alerts attention to anyone intentionally misusing the restroom. To address security during closed hours, the restroom includes automatic locking doors, cubicle motion sensors and intruder alarms, and a voice messaging system that informs unwanted occupants that security has been summoned. Further, the Exeloo allows for remote monitoring and sends alerts via email or text when issues persist and when supplies become low. We anticipate the Exeloo will be a game-changer for our department and could be the future of parks management. Upon opening to the public, the Exeloo gained immediate notoriety, with one TikTok video of the bathroom viewed 5 million times during the first week of restroom operations.
Colorado Springs Exeloo Smart Restroom
Since opening in July 2020, the bathrooms have welcomed nearly 18,000 visitors. Through this new amenity, our department is able to offer a heightened level of service, improving standards of safety, hygiene and accessibility. Simultaneously, the Exeloo decreases the burden on staff time and resources, a top commodity in an era where staff is consistently tasked with creating efficiency and expanding their bandwidth.
COLUMBINE AWARD, Programming: Commerce City First Responders Recruitment Traditionally, first responder careers are thought to be mostly filled by men. The need for women joining these fields is strong. This program was organized and executed by all women first responders and recreation staff, specifically for teen girls. These girls were able to learn and try, first hand, the physical and mental challenges of a first responder career. The girls worked with tools to extricate a person from a vehicle, tried on the equipment firefighters where, practiced first aid, learned firearms safety and Taser deployment, handcuffing techniques, and so much more. They were so engaged with every opportunity, we found we did not allot enough time to get through everything originally planned, so the next class will double in the hours offered. The class was held at the newly opened Bison Ridge
Recreation Center, which has a large parking lot, allowing us to land a helicopter for the girls to experiencewith a female crew, of course! We had 14 young women registered and 9 on the waitlist for the first time program. Most of the young women commented on how surprised they were that this program was 100% hands on. They thought that it would be a class structure with lots of power points. One teen was determined to climb to the top of the climbing wall. She tried over and over and couldn’t make it. After the class was over, she asked if she could try one more time. She made it! One participant
continued on to volunteer in other programs for younger children. One participant has been hired on to work 2019 summer camp. One participant now participates in the Youth/ Teen Advisory Committee through the recreation center. And finally, one participant showed interest in continuing a career in paramedics and did ride along with EMS. Another class is scheduled. We expanded to 24 spots and instead of one day, it is a three day program. This will give us time to do a large mock scenario that includes involves recreation staff within the center alerting 911 (with ADCOM-dispatch knowledge) and being a part of the hands-on training.
Commerce City First Responders
Colorado Byline | Spring 2021 • 11
Professional Service Awards
Community Champion
Professional Service Awards are for CPRA professional members only. The Fellow and Outstanding New Professional awards honor individuals who exemplify leadership, inspiration, and noteworthly constributions to the profession.
The Parks and Recreation Community Champion award recognizes an individual or organization within a community who is a true parks and recreation champion.
OUTSTANDING NEW PROFESSIONAL: Camille Ferrandino, City of Lakewood Camille Ferrandino supports a vast team of both full and parttime employees to administer fitness and wellness programming which includes personal training, group exercise, general admission, insurance-based membership offerings, nutrition and outdoor classes, special events among others. She also supports efforts to secure and manage partnerships beneficial for both the organization and community which can include National Fitness programming at our Fitness Court, medical fitness opportunities with local hospitals and local running groups/ businesses. She also makes time to attend various events promoting our services and coordinating fitness activities for attendees to enjoy. She is currently supporting the City health and wellness options for staff.
FELLOW: Dave Lee, City of Englewood It is with great pleasure that we nominate David W. Lee of the City of Englewood for the honor of CPRA Fellow Award. His dedication to continuing education, extensive experience, high standards of professionalism and outstanding leadership more than qualify him for this award. He has been with Englewood for 35 years and during that time he has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to the profession and to our city’s parks.
Congratulations to all 2020 award recipients! 12 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
PARKS AND RECREATION COMMUNITY CHAMPION: Robert Hubbell, Crawford Properties Robert’s grandfather, Floyd Crawford, set the tone for his family of proactive community support. In 1961 when the family settled in El Jebel, Colo., Floyd Crawford noticed that this area of Colorado was experiencing rapid population growth and escalating real estate prices, adversely affecting the availability of land for affordable public recreation. He made it his duty to save a tract of land in El Jebel for kids and families to play and connect with nature. In 1993, Floyd Crawford saw his dreams come true with the signing of a congressional act in Washington DC preserving a former Tree Farm Nursery and creating what is known today as Crown Mountain Park. Since that time, Robert Hubbell and his family have been a positive force throughout the community. After serving 10 years in the Marine Corp as a helicopter pilot, Robert returned to the Roaring Fork Valley to lead the family business, Crawford Properties, LLC. Robert fostered a culture at Crawford Properties LLC. committed to the stewardship of a safe, clean, and thriving community and responsible stewardship of the land.
It Takes a Village! Crawford Properties would like to thank Colorado Parks & Recreation Association and its members for the community work you do.
Congratulations to all fellow award recipients! Submitted by Errin Koon, Town of Parker
Crawford Properties LLC 60 El Jebel Rd. Unit 105 | El Jebel, CO 81623 | 970-963-2684
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Colorado Byline | Spring 2021 • 13
PRESENTED BY
Introduction by Allison Kincaid, Executive Director, Colorado Parks & Recreation Association
How do you express gratitude for the individuals who go above and beyond every day, behind the scenes, in the field, and do so without a second thought? How do you possibly say thank you to the incredible professionals that worked every...single...day...in a pandemic, at the front lines keeping Colorado’s outdoor spaces clean and accessible for their communities during such a critical time. I’ve thought about this a great deal over the last year and every time I drove by a park, enjoyed a trail or open space, and advocated for these incredible professionals at the State and beyond. These professionals are friends of CPRA and I’m proud to call them Heroes in our Industry. I wish that I could
shout out each and every name of the hundreds of dedicated Parks Professionals from across Colorado (maybe I just will!). But, I did think that shouting out in our Byline magazine was the next best thing. And, for those of you not working in Parks Departments, I hope this segment inspires you to also take a moment and thank your Parks Professionals this week. Please enjoy this segment designed to celebrate ALL OF YOU and everything you do. If you don’t see your team or photo in here, please know that we recognize you and your contribution as well. Thank you for everything, Colorado ‘Parks Heroes!’
“I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.” Maya Angelou
14 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
ParkS Hero: THE CITY OF ARVADA PARK MAINTENANCE TEAM Submitted by Enessa James, Deputy Director, City of Arvada Department of Vibrant Community and Neighborhoods
The men and women that make up the Parks, Forestry and Open Space staff for the City of Arvada continually strive to provide high quality services to our community. During 2020 we saw an unprecedented increase in use of our parks, open space and athletic complexes. Our crews battled heat, smoke, drought conditions and ever-changing public health guidelines due to COVID-19. Despite the year of adversity, our staff was able to provide safe and well-maintained parks and open space areas where both children and adults could recharge their batteries and explore newly appreciated freedoms. Our staff was able to provide an important remedy to an ever changing world. The need to get out and explore was necessary, whether that was a stroll through a neighborhood park, a long bike ride through miles of open space trails or a simple family picnic. Parks and open space areas have always been important to our community. The last year has taught us just how important parks are to community health and well-being and equally important are the personnel that are charged with maintaining these areas. Thank you to the City of Arvada’s Park Maintenance Staff for providing and maintaining these sanctuaries for those who choose to live, play and thrive in our community.
ParkS Hero: CITY OF BOULDER OPERATIONS STAFF Submitted by Charlotte O’Donnell, Administrative Specialist, City of Boulder, Parks and Recreation
Our parks and outdoor spaces are more important than they’ve ever been to support community members’ physical and mental well-being. Despite reduced resources, Operations staff worked tirelessly to provide uninterrupted access to nearly 1,800 acres of urban parkland and natural lands as they experienced higher use than ever. They were assisted by 87 volunteers through our new Park Champs program, who contributed 1,466 hours to keep our parks beautiful and safe. Our Volunteer and Outreach team created the Park Champs program in the Spring of 2020, rolling it out in the height of the pandemic as a safe way for neighbors to volunteer in their local park. The program allows community members to help maintain city parks by being a Flower Bed Champ, Littler Champ or Park Champ.
Colorado Byline | Spring 2021 • 15
ParkS HeroES: ERIK RODRIGUEZ, CITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS Submitted by Kurt Schroeder, Park Maintenance and Operations Manager, City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services
Through this challenging and unprecedented year, one staff member in Parks was positioned to coordinate our department’s response to the pandemic. Erik Rodriguez, our Health, Safety and Environmental Specialist, became charged with keeping our staff safe and informed to the ever-changing COVID world. This required serving as a liaison to different departments Erik Rodriguez within the city and organizations across the state, while simultaneously disseminating critical recommendations to leadership and staff. In this role, Erik led record keeping and compliance requirements, ensuring timely and accurate detailing of CARES Act eligible expenses. Finance shared with us that Erik “was amazing in the quality and the detail of the information” he provided and that he “tracked expenses thoroughly” and was “always responsive” to their requests and needs related to closing out the grants they were managing. They also stated that Erik “deserved a gold star” for his work and that they “couldn’t imagine how it would gone were in not for Erik”. Likewise, representatives of our Safety Office raved about Erik’s work, stating that “they couldn’t imagine
him having done any better” and that his effort was “nothing less than outstanding”. Erik also served as a vital link in the chain of communication, acting as our conduit between staff that had potential COVID exposure and Occupational Health staff, exchanging information and keeping all abreast of each individual’s situation. Overall, Erik has performed exceptionally, meeting the challenges presented by COVID and ensuring that our department could operate safely and continue to serve the public. He continually addressed nuances presented by the pandemic, and adapted to the fluid situation to support staff. On top of all things related to the pandemic response, Erik ably continued on with his other assigned duties that encompassed regular employee safety interactions. Erik has performed remarkably in managing our department’s COVID response, supporting other COVID impacted departments, and assuring that Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services staff were kept safe during these trying times. Erik’s commitment to our community ensured continued operations and safe management of our local spaces that became even more beloved due to COVID - our parks, trails, open spaces, community centers and cultural amenities continued to offer valuable respite due to his on-going coordination and unparalleled professionalism.
ParkS HeroES: TOWN OF CRESTED BUTTE PARKS CREW Submitted by Janna Hansen, Parks, Recreation, Open Space & Trails Director, Town of Crested Butte
Let is be known that Dylan Bova, Les Choy, Pete Curvin, Nick Dermer, Bobby Knight, and Chris Wiig of the Crested Butte Parks Crew are true parks heroes. In April 2020 when they received the news that they would not be able to hire any summer staff, they responded admirably with stoicism and confidence. The summer of 2020 turned out to be the busiest summer on record with more visitors than Crested Butte has ever seen. These Parks Heroes kept CB parks not only open and usable, but beautifully maintained. Crested Butte’s iconic flower barrels were planted, fields were given extra care, and mountains of trash were removed without complaint. The flexibility this crew showed in adapting to ever-changing public health orders and the reconfiguration of our main street was commendable. The Town of Crested Butte is tremendously grateful to our Parks Heroes for their outstanding efforts in 2020. 16 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
Dylan Bova
Les Choy
Pete Curvin
Nick Dermer
Bobby Knight
Chris Wiig
ParkS HeroES: TOWN OF ERIE PARK AND OPEN SPACE TEAM Submitted by Patrick Hammer, Director of Parks and Recreation, Town of Erie Parks & Recreation
From a public perspective it’s easy for our Park and Open Space team members to simply blend into the background during a morning trail run, a Saturday soccer game, or a picnic in a park, but to the Erie community these individuals represent so much more – they’re part of the fabric that ties the community together. During the pandemic, Division Manager Mike McGill and Supervisors John Frankenfeld, Matt Spinner, and Patrick Plummer worked long hours ensuring Erie’s parks and trails remained in tip top shape and safe for our community. Like most in our industry, 2020 became a never-ending cycle of mindlessly replacing social distancing signs, picking up discarded masks and cleaning parks. These tasks were added to what was already a full workload. However, an amazing unintended consequence developed out of this new mundane routine. Our Parks and Open Space team became the frontline friendly face in the community indicating, on a daily basis, that our parks and trails were safe and open
for business. They moved from the background to the forefront in the eyes of the community, and they deserve every bit of credit that comes their way. They were no furlough days, work from home days or Mike McGill John Frankenfeld reduced operations. In fact, the opposite occurred. They took on more work and had to operate with restrictions intended for indoor office environments. Their days were filled with driving personal vehicles so everyone could stay 6’ apart; refurbishing an old farm house into offices to follow staff capacity requirements; staggering shifts to make Patrick Plummer Matt Spinner sure no one’s hours were cut; standing 6’ apart teams like the true professionals they hand-shoveling snow drifts; are; and the list goes on. On behalf of all working long hours ensuring grave sites of Erie, we tip our collective hats to our were dug for funerals; cleaning vehicles Erie Parks and Open Space Heroes. before leaving for the day; leading their
ParkS Hero: JIM MEYERS, FOOTHILLS PARK & RECREATION DISTRICT Submitted by Tom Woodard, Director of Golf, Foothills Parks & Recreation District
Jim Meyers works for the Foothills Park & Recreation District at the Meadows Golf Club. The golf industry, specifically golf courses, has experienced a historic surge during this pandemic. Jim works on the golf cart and driving range crew, and they sanitize more touch points than any other golf employee. A big shout out to Jim and all employees in the golf industry for creating a safe environment for those who enjoy the game of golf!
Colorado Byline | Spring 2021 • 17
ParkS HeroES: HYLAND HILLS PARK AND RECREATION DISTRICT PARKS DEPARTMENT Submitted by Joann Cortez, Communications Director, Hyland Hills Park and Recreation District
Hyland Hills Park and Recreation District learned quickly as the pandemic grew how essential our 20 parks, trails and other FREE outdoor amenities are to families and District residents of all ages. Visitor numbers grew exponentially, but our friendly Parks Department staff did not miss a beat. They stayed on task maintaining the beauty of our many outdoor facilities with the same amount of pride as always. They worked longer than normal hours and missed days off to take care of massive amounts of trash, repairing anything that needed to be fixed, and gently reminding visitors to pay attention to park signage, adhere to park rules, wear face coverings, and to pick up anything they brought with them when they left. Hyland Hills relies heavily on our Parks Heroes and their frontline skills when working with our community and we think they are AMAZING!
(Left to right) Paul Nisky, Charlie Derksen, Pete Hokkanen, Keith Horan, Anthony Rosales, Cody VanArsdale, David Dozal, Bryan Lopez, Tristan O’Donnell, and Joe Falcon
CPRA AGENCY DIRECTORS: SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATIONS FOR RECREATION HEROES & PROGRAMMING HEROES! The Summer issue of Byline magazine will feature Recreation Heroes. This category includes recreation center staff, aquatics, fitness, and athletics. Deadline for submissions is Friday, June 25, 2021. The Fall 2021 issue will feature Programming Heroes. This category includes programmers, therapeutic recreation, and event coordinators. Deadline for submissions is Friday, September 17, 2021. CPRA agency directors can submit up to two nominations in each category online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/CPRAHeroes (scan the QR code at right to go directly there). After submitting, please send up to three high resolution photos per nomination to Todd Pernsteiner at todd@pernsteiner.com. Please label your submission for “Recreation Heroes” or “Programming Heroes.” CPRA Industry Partners: Summer and fall ‘Heroes’ section sponsorship packages available. Contact Todd Pernsteiner at todd@pernsteiner.com or (952) 841-1111 for details.
18 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
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ParkS Hero: LEMESE HURRELL-COUPE, JEFFERSON COUNTY Submitted by Karey Baker, Senior Administrative Coordinator, and Tom Hoby, Director of Open Space & Parks, Jefferson County Open Space
LeMese Hurrell-Coupe
At Jefferson County Open Space (JCOS), we rely on our volunteers for nearly every aspect of our operation. As stated in the information below, we would like to nominate LaMese HurrellCoupe as a Colorado Parks Hero. True of so many of our volunteers, LaMese goes above and beyond in her role as a volunteer with JCOS.
Specifically, LaMese stepped up to serve on the front lines and helped not only keep the parks open, but safe, for the public. She volunteered as a member of the Covid Information Team, providing information and modeling best practices for visitors
about how to safely recreate during the pandemic. She provided vital reports about park conditions and visitor compliance during unprecedented visitation. In addition, LaMese was integral to the success of a muchneeded new program, the South Table Mountain Land Steward program. In a year when we could not safely bring anyone together for training, LaMese volunteered to serve as a Mentor for new volunteers. Her mentorship provided the necessary skills training we couldn’t have otherwise given. As a result, all successfully completed their training and have continued to serve as volunteer Land Stewards. Throughout everything, LaMese serves as a buoy to the spirits of all she encounters and remains a positive influence on our program staff and volunteers.
ParkS Hero: JEFFERSON COUNTY OPEN SPACE VISITOR SERVICES TEAM Submitted by Karey Baker, Senior Administrative Coordinator, and Tom Hoby, Director of Open Space & Parks, Jefferson County Open Space
Not all heroes wear capes, but they do wear masks. With statewide marching orders to “stay at home but go outside”, the Denver Metro Area decided to hit their local trails. Hard. In the face of visitation levels we had never seen, Jeffco Open Space resolved to remain open; all 27 parks, all 256 miles of trail, all restrooms, and all trashcans. 39 Park Services and Park Ranger professionals worked the front line; cleaning restrooms, pulling trash, protecting resources, providing emergency medical assistance, educating, and keeping the peace so our visitors could find their peace in an otherwise chaotic and scary world. As we ‘round the corner into spring with not a day of rest, this team deserves to be recognized as Park Heroes. Who’s that masked man? Park Ranger, Billy Hall, stops to talk trail safety with families at Mount Falcon Park.
20 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
ParkS Hero: LINDSAY GILLIS, CITY OF LAKEWOOD Submitted by Kit Newland, Community Resources Director, City of Lakewood Department of Community Resources
Lindsay Gillis, the Lakewood Community Resources Park Naturalist, quickly reworked programming and educational opportunities during the pandemic. She created a virtual format for camps, educational sessions and our Junior Ranger program, giving citizens the opportunity to learn valuable lessons and connect with nature. Lindsay also created Nature Note videos that were posted throughout the year on social media that included educational and entertaining information
on wildlife encounters, the Leave No Trace initiative, fire safety and many other natural resource elements. Additionally, as we were unable to hire as many Variable Rangers as we needed, and the parks became so busy Lindsay was placed into more of a Ranger role than previous years. She quickly adapted and handled all the pressures of the huge crowds at Bear Creek Lake Park. Thank you, Lindsay for all the hard work!
ParkS Hero: DEVIN WILSON, CITY OF LOVELAND Submitted by Elizabeth Kayl, Parks and Recreation Director, City of Loveland Parks & Recreation Department
The Loveland Parks and Recreation Department has many outstanding parks heroes and we are so grateful for their service to our community. One such hero that we’d like to acknowledge is Devin Wilson, Park Crew Leader (Cemetery). Devin started working for the City as a part year employee in 2013 working in the Sports Turf Devin Wilson Section of the Parks Division. He then accepted a full time position in Sports Turf in December of 2014. Then, in April of 2018 he was promoted to Parks Crew Leader-Sports Turf. This all made sense based on his previous experience in sports field maintenance, however, due to budget reductions in 2020, Devin was moved from our Sports Turf Section to the Cemetery Section of the Parks Division. Although others might see this career move as a negative, Devin has shown true leadership and dedication.
Despite COVID, work at the cemetery never slowed or stopped and 2020 actually proved to be our busiest year ever. Frequently, Devin deals with complex, emotionally sensitive issues with families, requiring compassion and a delicate approach. He owns and handles these issues with tact and professionalism and sees them through to resolution. Additionally, as the only full-time grounds staff out at the cemetery, Devin often has to work weekends and odd hours and does so without complaint knowing that the work needs to be done and he is capable of doing it. Devin’s dedication and commitment set a wonderful example for our seasonal workers and other department staff. Although cemetery work is not flashy or glamourous, Devin embraces his role, demonstrating leadership, accountability and integrity every day. His commitment is rooted in his desire to do his best work on behalf of the city and our community and for that he is a park hero.
Colorado Byline | Spring 2021 • 21
ParkS Hero: WADE PLOUSSARD, MONTROSE COUNTY Submitted by Mari Steinbach, Director, Montrose Recreation District
When the pandemic hit, the Montrose Recreation District (MRD) asked “who and what needs our help?” And when the local school district announced that, in light of school closures, they would provide school meals to only a handful of pick up sites, the City of Montrose called upon the MRD to help distribute these important meals to families not able to get to the pick-up sites. Wade Ploussard, Adult Recreation Coordinator, jumped at the chance to take on the leadership of this important task, efficiently coordinating meal delivery routes and
staff, and mobilizing additional local business sponsorships. Using MRD vehicles and repurposed staff, we delivered these lunches to households in need all throughout Montrose County, into June. Wade led our crew, motivating them and organizing them so that by the time deliveries ended Wade and the team had driven over 6,000 miles and delivered nearly 10,500 meals! Wade Ploussard is the Montrose Recreation District ‘Parks Hero’!
Wade Ploussard
ParkS HeroES: TOWN OF PARKER PARKS DIVISION Submitted by Jared Musil, Town of Parker
The Parker Parks Division, through the Pandemic and in its downturn, a blizzard and now Spring startups, you have been present and willing every step of the way. Despite the risks, you performed without fail and as a group, are Parker’s heroes. In honor of your commitment, we sincerely wish to say - THANK YOU!
Shout out to the Parker Parks Division for everything they do to keep our community safe and active during a pandemic and after one of the largest blizzards in Colorado history! Here they can be seen moving the snow that accumulated in the shady and already wet spots on the north side of the dugouts at Salisbury Park ballfields. Enough snow was moved where the sun can get to it to be closer to where we were before the blizzard. Our Parks team is literally doing everything possible to help our adult community enjoy our parks and programs and get back on the field!
22 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
Thank You, Park Heroes, for Giving Us Fresh Air, Winding Trails, and Safe Spaces to Seek Wellness To all the givers, the innovators, the
From all of us at CivicRec®, we recognize and
dreamers, the lovers of wide-open spaces,
aim to uplift the leaders in parks and recreation
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Colorado ColoradoByline Byline| |Spring Spring2021 2021• •23 23
ParkS Hero: CITY OF WESTMINSTER PARKS TEAM Submitted by City of Westminster Department of Parks, Recreation, and Libraries
The City of Westminster would like to recognize its Parks Heroes that worked tirelessly in 2020 to not only help manage the City’s outdoor spaces but also to step up and continue to serve Westminster’s at-risk communities. When the need for the City’s largest remaining food pantry services, provided by Growing Home, increased by 700%, Westminster’s parks employees stepped up and began regularly transporting tons of food between Food Bank of the Rockies’ Denver location and Growing Home to be dispersed to community members in need. All of this critical food transport happened at a time when local park use was also at an all-time high. Westminster Parks, Recreation & Libraries is so grateful for its incredible parks team for their work in supporting our community during this challenging time.
ParkS Hero: JOSEPH BUESSER & DOMONIC GRINE, CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE Submitted by Karen O’Donnell, Parks & Recreation Director, City of Wheat Ridge Parks & Recreation
Wheat Ridge Parks, Forestry and Open Space would like to nominate Joseph Buesser and Domonic Grine as Colorado Parks Heroes for their exceptional service during the last year of the pandemic. In their function as Crew Leaders, they were responsible for organizing and managing their crews in a manner that allowed for a continued high level of service, increased demands for parks facility sanitation, and leading their crews in a manner that minimized exposure to COVID and maximized their safety. They achieved this without the help of seasonal employees and through leading their crews on rotational 10 hours shifts that included working full days on the weekend. I am sure they would say that they could not have been successful without the help of their teams, who were willing to go above and beyond the normal call of duty, and should be recognized as well.
“I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.” Joseph Buesser Maya Angelou
THank you to all Colorado park heroes for everything you do for our communities! 24 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
Domonic Grine
ParkS Hero: CITY OF NORTHGLENN PARKS STAFF Submitted by Belia Straushein, Administrative Assistant, City of Northglenn Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services
Northglenn Parks Staff are truly parks heroes! A hero is someone who, in spite of circumstances and not knowing what to expect, goes ahead and does it anyway and does it extremely well. When COVID uncertainties were presented, the team took on so much more. They were able to provide a welcoming space where residents were able to safely continue some “normalcy” and they welcomed the assistance of several other city staff, from aquatics to theatre, as they were reassigned in their daily jobs. This group is far more than a group whose responsibilities including maintaining and beautifying city park spaces and assisting with numerous city events and festivals year round. This is a quality team of professionals whose work is recognized as consistently setting the “bar” very high!
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ON THE MARK >>> Local Girl Scout Troop Partners with Thornton Parks, Recreation & Community Programs (TPRCP) to build and inclusive Archery Range in Thornton By Mike Coulter, Recreation Coordinator, City of Thornton
In a city of 145,000 residents, during a pandemic shutdown, you would not think four young girls could come up with an idea to build an ADA accessible archery range, navigate through the bureaucracy associated with a city of that size, and then see their idea come to fruition in just six months. You’d be wrong though. Last summer, four young members of Girls Scout Troop #62511, Abigail Boehmler, Eden Lucas-Eraquam, Samantha Gemaehlich, and Aleaha Schauppner decided for their Silver Award Project, they would like to see an archery range built in Thornton that would be free of charge for the public to use and would be accessible to all regardless of their abilities. 26 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
They first contacted Thornton City Council member Adam Matkowsky with the idea and said they were willing to solicit lumber donations and build twelve target holders and six bow stands for the project. Councilmember Matkowsky asked Parks, Recreation & Community Programs Director, Seve Ghose to look into this to see if it was possible. Mr. Ghose loved the idea and assembled a team of staff from the department and the project was off and running in August 2020. The first step was deciding how many lanes to construct and what type of target holders and bow stands would be used. The girl scout troop did research both online and by visiting other ranges and came up with the recommendation
to build six lanes with two targets each. Distances would be 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 100 meters. One target would be at 70 meters as that is the official Olympic distance for the longbow competition. Parks staff then selected a site at Spratt Lake (100th and McKay) and began grading a large plot. A priority from the start was to make the range welcoming
The project was a great example of members of the local community working together with staff from multiple divisions within the city to produce a great amenity open for all to use. to archers from the disabled community, so staff from the Streets Department brought in roto-millings (recycled, groundup asphalt) to help make a suitable surface for wheelchairs. The girls secured lumber donations from Alpine Lumber and got to work building the frames that would hold the archery targets and the stands that would hold the bows when archers are retrieving their arrows. They also researched rules
>>>
for the range and a sign was ordered. Parks and Recreation staff plotted out exactly where the targets and firing line markers would be and secured these into the ground. The targets were ordered and placed in the hangers and the range was ready for business by December. Future plans for the site include a pavilion, trees, split rail fence, and picnic benches. For their efforts, the girl scouts and their parents were selected as the Thornton
Parks, Recreation & Community Programs 2020 Volunteer Team of the Year. The city staff from parks, recreation, streets, and the water resources divisions were also honored as the Thornton Parks, Recreation & Community Programs 2020 Team of the Year. The project was a great example of members of the local community working together with staff from multiple divisions within the city to produce a great amenity open for all to use.
Colorado ColoradoByline Byline| |Spring Spring2021 2021• •27 27
6
Tips for Recruiting and Retaining a Volunteer Workforce
By Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC)
Effective volunteer engagement is critical for many public-facing organizations: in addition to saving staff time and resources, a committed volunteer base allows you to engage the communities you serve more meaningfully and effectively. Plus, when volunteers feel connected to your work, they become invested in the outcome and can often become some of your most fervent supporters and donors. But it can be challenging to know where to start, especially if your organization is in the early stages of developing volunteer programs. Follow these six tips to recruit and retain volunteers and you’ll be on your way to increasing your organization’s reach and impact!
1. Start with a goal. You know you need volunteers – but do you know how many, or what kind? Before you start planning how to recruit
28 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
volunteers, determine who you need and what you need them for. Consider your organization’s overall goals as well as your project-specific needs when setting goals. Perhaps your organization wants to increase youth and family involvement in your programs, but you also need volunteers to help with a physically demanding park improvement project. In this case, you have two goals requiring different volunteers – and thus different recruitment strategies. Setting these goals ahead of time will help you track your progress and plan your outreach more efficiently.
2. Meet prospective volunteers where they are. Now that you know who you’re looking for, consider where you’ll find them. By understanding your prospective volunteers’ habits and motivations, you can tailor your recruitment to reach the volunteers you’re looking for with a mix of print materials, online outreach, and
face-to-face interactions. Consider the places and websites they frequent; the partners they’re already connected with; and the other commitments competing for their time. To reach families, for example, you may want to partner with schools and libraries while being conscious of how school and sports schedules may affect your efforts.
3. Share what’s in it for them. While many volunteers are altruistically motivated, they need more than just an inspiring mission. To get volunteers in the door – and, more importantly, keep them engaged – individuals need roles that suit them and their interests, and they need to know that their time matters. Throughout your recruitment efforts, make it clear how volunteers’ work will fit into the ‘big picture’ of your mission and answer, “What’s in it for me?”. Explain what they will gain from their time, whether that’s new skills, new friends, or simply a fun experience.
4. Diversify your volunteer opportunities. After you feel confident meeting your project-specific goals, you may want to consider expanding the ways that people can volunteer with you. Providing different opportunities opens the door to different types of people – with different skills and abilities – to become involved with your organization. It also provides new ways for existing volunteers to participate, deepening their engagement as they learn about other aspects of your work. Data entry, administrative support, and photography can be simple ways to expand your volunteer opportunities.
5. Say thank you and stay connected. The easiest way to recruit volunteers is to keep the ones you already have. Make your volunteers feel appreciated from
the moment they consider signing up to long after they’ve completed their work. It’s important to always thank them and to stay connected, even at times when no volunteer opportunities may be available. You can highlight volunteers’ efforts in your newsletters and social media; create a Facebook group or other place for your volunteers to connect; or provide tangible incentives for increased involvement (these don’t have to be expensive; a special sticker or simply adding their name to the ‘100 Volunteer Hours Club’ can be effective!).
6. Recruit, Recognize, Retain… and Report The not-so-secret weapon behind your volunteer engagement efforts is data. Whether you use an online spreadsheet or a more robust platform, you’ll want to track your volunteers’ involvement including contact information, skills and interests, and past participation. You may also want to collect how they heard about your organization
and feedback about their experience. You can then use these data points to tailor your communications with volunteers and contact them directly about opportunities that may interest them; adjust your outreach methods; and continually improve the volunteer experience. Finally, it’s important to remember that volunteer engagement is not a one-anddone task. It is a process of building mutually beneficial relationships with individuals, groups, and communities. While it can take time, fostering an engaged volunteer workforce is worth the effort. It can free up staff time, bring new skills into your organization, increase your impact and, ultimately, more deeply connect your organization to the people you serve. Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado (VOC) was founded in 1984 to motivate and enable people to become active stewards of Colorado’s natural resources. VOC’s award-winning volunteer, youth, and training programs have engaged more than 125,000 volunteers in over 1,000 projects. Learn more at voc.org.
Colorado Byline | Spring 2021 • 29
Mile High Youth Corps Offers a Solution to Local Parks and Recreation Department Needs By: Jeslin Shahrezaei, Director / Development & Communications and Michele Kilen, Manager / Foundation & Government Giving, Mile High Youth Corps
As Colorado’s population has multiplied rapidly, so has the dramatic impact on the increase in those seeking respite in Colorado’s outdoor spaces. This increased human engagement also creates enormous impact on the quality and resiliency of trails and waterways; it leads to humans unknowingly spreading non-native invasive species, reducing health of sensitive ecosystems, reducing the sustainability of recreation infrastructure, and eroding the overall condition of public lands. Inspired by the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930’s, Mile High Youth Corps’ Land Conservation Program is devoted to the improvement and sustainable development of two important resources - our youth and our environment. Through extensive partnerships, Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC) delivers high quality projects at a fraction of the cost; providing an average of 150+ youth, ages 18-24, employment each year on over 70 land conservation projects spanning 23 counties. Youth from across Colorado, called Corpsmembers, are assigned to an 8-person crew that works for four to six months on a variety of conservationfocused projects on public lands. These include construction and maintenance of recreational and safety access trails, habitat restoration, fire fuel mitigation, historical preservation and park development projects. MHYC’s Land Conservation Program ensures every young person has 30 • Colorado Byline | Spring 2021
MHYC has a long history partnering with municipalities across the 23 counties in which MHYC works. Partners have included the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation, Denver Parks and Recreation, Foothills Parks and Recreation District, City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, South Suburban Parks and Recreation District-all of which have committed to developing future stewards of Colorado’s natural resources.
abundant opportunities to connect and engage with the outdoors in ways that are inspirational, transformational, and meaningful to them, cultivating the next generation of stewards to watch over and take care of Colorado’s outdoor spaces. Simultaneously, the program opens the door to careers in natural resources by giving youth in underserved communities, hands-on experience and a greater understanding of the industry. Corpsmembers gain technical skills and work alongside land management partners gaining access to the natural world they may not have had before. For many of the young people, this can be a defining moment in their young lives, as they are introduced for the first time to the benefits of stewarding Colorado’s public lands. Many have never camped and few have spent significant time in the forests.
Founded as Year One, Inc., Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC) was established in 1992 to address the educational and employment needs of Denver’s youth while connecting them to their community and the outdoors. That first year, 20 youth served Denver neighborhoods through a single 10-week program. Today, MHYC is a comprehensive, year-round model serving 200 young adults annually. Youth, ages 18-24, receive on-the-job training and career readiness programs leading to the obtainment of industry-recognized certifications, an AmeriCorps education award and leadership opportunities to help them achieve their educational and employment goals. These young adults, called Corpsmembers, are employed and trained to serve on community-based projects related to land conservation, energy and water conservation, healthcare or construction. While many Corpsmembers have significant
For many of the young people, this can be a defining moment in their young lives, as they are introduced for the first time to the benefits of stewarding Colorado’s public lands.
barriers (housing, transportation, child care, etc.) to accomplishing educational and employment related benchmarks, MHYC is committed and intentional in its approach to removing those barriers and ensuring all young people are positioned for long-term success. To date, Mile High Youth Corps has served over 4,400 Corpsmembers, provided $3.8 million in AmeriCorps education awards, and delivered 1.4 million hours of service. Corpsmembers have built or maintained more than 300 miles of trail, helped build over 1,200 affordable housing units, and retrofitted over 45,000 low-income homes for energy and water savings. MHYC alumni from years past are forest rangers, wildland firefighters, electricians, certified nurse assistants, community non-profit leaders and advocates of the environment.
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Colorado Byline | Spring 2021 • 31
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