MRPF Corner

MRPF Year in Review

By Mike Ramirez, Foundation President

What a year. I would say that most of us thought that 2020 was the worst of these strange times, but as we’ve all witnessed 2021 took Lee Corso’s words out of his mouth and said, “not so fast, my friends.” 2021 was a year full of civil unrest, elevated violence, and new variants of Covid-19. All of this led to creative approaches to opening for business, while implementing measures to ensure our residents and users felt safe and comfortable participating in our programs. I am consistently in awe of the great professionals in our industry that continue to innovate to serve Minnesotans superbly. The Foundation was privileged to honor Marcia Bach with the 2020 Ed Brandeen Cornerstone Award at the MRPA Annual Conference in front of her friends and colleagues in October 2021. Marcia served on the MRPF Board for over 30 years during her 50 years in the industry and continues to serve as an ambassador of the Foundation. We will always be grateful for Marcia’s devotion to the Board and profession. Further, the Foundation continues to award New Initiative Grants and student scholarships this year. These are always fun to award, as it takes dedication to be inventive and apply. We want to thank all those who helped with the application and screening process as we truly could not do this work without our members. Congratulations to the recipients of a New Initiative Grant or student scholarship. If you are looking for support to help fund a network event, in or out of state conference or training, or you are a professional looking for some assistance to earn an advanced degree please submit a written request to the Board for consideration.

For the first time since Microsoft Excel became a thing, the Foundation converted our accounting practices to a new software, QuickBooks. This has allowed us to better serve our members and automate our budgeting practices. For the first time, members were able to receive an emailed a membership renewal invoice and pay online! Members loved being able to pay with a credit card, PayPal or ApplePay. Look for the Foundation to continue to harness new technology in the future. In 2021 we had a record number 11 members running for one of four seats on the Board of Trustees. With this, we had an outstanding voter turnout. The newly elected members to serve on the Board from 2022-2024 are Jessica Christensen Buck, John Elholm, Joey Schugel, and returning Board member, Lisa Abernathy. We are excited to welcome them on to continue working to serve the Foundation’s mission and vision. With new trustees coming in, we have to say goodbye to those rolling off the board. We want to extend a big thank you to Mary Jo Knudson and Jay Lotthammer for their service over the past three years. They worked in tandem to advance the Foundation’s strategic plan to guide us into the future. Mike Ramirez will also be stepping away from Foundation leadership. He led the annual Silent Auction and Raffle efforts from 2017-2019, served as the vicepresident in 2020, and most recently served as the 2021 Board president. The Foundation is exploring new ways to connect professionals with social and networking events in 2022. We want to hear from the membership to best serve you. If you have great ideas or are looking to get involved with one of the Foundation’s committees, please reach out to one of the Board members.

Why become a member of MRPF?

The Minnesota Recreation and Park Foundation is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the state solely dedicated to promoting excellence in the parks and recreation profession, and we take pride in supporting our members and the profession. The Foundation provides annual scholarships and grants for our members, organizations, and students. We also provide support for professionals seeking continuing education opportunities by providing grants. Organizations who are trying to develop new initiatives are eligible for financial support to start the programs. Student members in a recreation field are encouraged to apply for the scholarship opportunities. Most of all, the Foundation’s primary objective is to support the education, innovation, and training for all members in our profession!

Did you know that you can be a Lifetime

member of MRPF? It’s true! You can forego remembering to pay your dues each year with a onetime payment of $1,000. A big push for 2022 is to identify all the Foundation’s Lifetime members and recognize them on the Foundation’s website. We want to thank those that have supported us over the years. Your generous support goes a long way to continue the pursuit of the mission and vision of the Foundation. If you are a lifetime member not identified, please reach out to one of the trustees to be recognized. Membership with the Minnesota Recreation and Park Foundation provides eligibility for these programs and the benefits they bring to your state, your community, your department, and your profession. Memberships run with the calendar year.

Membership dues are:

• Professional .......................... $25 • Retiree ................................... $20 • Undergrad student...............$10 • Lifetime ............................ $1,000

The Minnesota Recreation & Park Foundation (MRPF) is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Minnesota by supporting recreation and parks through education, networking opportunities, programming grants, student and professional continuing education scholarships, and providing support to the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association. Our primary objective is to support the education, innovation, and training of all recreation professionals and students. Learn more at www.mnrpf.org.