SOUTH CAROLINA
2024 Board of Directors
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President Katherine Jones York County
President Elect
Jon Woodsby Spartanburg County
Vice President
Amy Evans Summerville
Secretary Ande Oliver
County
Treasurer Michael Bradley
Charleston County
Past President
Jessica Campbell City of Aiken
Central VP
Seth Holley City of Aiken
BRANCHES
ELM Branch
Kim Moultrie
Spartanburg County
PRM Branch
Blake Center City of Rock Hill
Justin
Student
Lawanda Curry
Eastern
Southern VP
Nicole Murray
Landscape Structures
Western VP
Tamika Pollard
of Greenville
TABLE
CONTENTS
Executive Director
James E. Headley jim@scrpa.org
MAGAZINE/MARKETING COMMITTEE
CHAIR
Alison Cribb City of Aiken
VICE CHAIR
Megan Boisvert North Charleston
CENTRAL REPS
Katie Gantt City of Aiken EASTERN
Myrtle Beach
Lauren Wolf City of Myrtle Beach
WESTERN REPS
Taylor Talbot
of Greenville
ADVERTISER
South Carolina
P.O. Box 1046, Lexington, SC 29071
(p) 803-808-7753
www.scrpa.org • info@scrpa.org
To advertise in the magazine , contact Todd Pernsteiner: todd@pernsteiner.com or (952) 841-1111.
THE ASSOCIATION REPORT
By Katherine Jones, SCRPA President & Jim Headley, SCRPA Executive Director
Overcoming Obstacles, Boosting Engagement
As we begin to wrap up the end of the year, I like to look back at the things our teams, our agencies, and our association have accomplished. This issue highlights stories from across the state on how we work together to achieve our goals, build rapport with stakeholders, and how we overcome obstacles in this ever-changing world.
Much like many of the agencies across the state, the association works together to build support and boost engagement in the work that we do: professional development and advocacy. The association has worked diligently this year on providing new, innovative ways to provide diverse professional development opportunities throughout the state, engaging all aspects and members of our profession. We have developed partnerships and attracted sponsors for professional development opportunities, all while recruiting unique speakers and topics to our institutes and workshops. Without the support of our partners, sponsors, and engaging members, we would not be as successful as we are today. It takes the dedication of our staff, board of directors, various committees, branch members, and other association volunteers all working together toward a shared mission for the benefit of our members—just as agencies across the state do for their citizens.
This year, the association has been actively updating policies, creating new ones, and hiring an additional staff member. These efforts align with our strategic plan and represent key milestones we can be proud of. Just as the employees highlighted in this issue’s “Beyond the Business Card,” mean so much their communities they serve back home, SCRPA means a great deal to so many parks and recreation professionals across the state. We value creating an environment where everyone works together for the betterment of all South Carolina citizens. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at our 79th Annual Conference “Making Waves,” being held in Myrtle Beach, SC on December 16-18. Our annual conference offers an abundance of educational sessions on a variety of topics and a diverse number of vendors in our exhibit halls. This is an opportunity to grow professionally, network with other professionals from across the state, and celebrate our people and profession.
Hurricane Helene has impacted around 16 counties in our state, affecting many local agencies in various ways. As those who have experienced similar storms in the past know, recovery is a long and often never-ending process. SCRPA has set up a donations page on the front page of our website, with funds going directly to help our park and recreation
Upcoming Events:
October
employees (or their agency, if they so choose).
If you so choose to donate, SCRPA is a 501 c (3) and all donations are tax deductible.
100% of every donation will go directly to support our employees or help agencies in ways they choose. We are grateful to those individuals and agencies who have already stepped forward to offer assistance. We are still gathering the most impactful ways to support the professionals affected.
In closing, we would like to express our sincere thanks to each and every one of our members. The 2024 Board of Directors has worked hard this year on a number of topics and opportunities, but we could not have accomplished anything without the support of our membership. It has been a pleasure to serve you this year and we hope that you, your staff, and your families have a wonderful holiday season. As always, if you should ever need anything, please never hesitate to contact a board member or the SCRPA office.
Best,
- Katherine Jones & Jim Headley
Katherine Jones JimHeadley
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# HeresWhatsHappening
Snapshots from SCRPA member agencies
Fall Sports in Aiken
Fall sports have officially commenced at the City of Aiken, generating considerable excitement within the community. Participants are actively engaged in volleyball, soccer, cheerleading, and flag football. Practices are in progress, with games scheduled to begin following Labor Day. Additionally, the local college, USC Aiken, hosted a volleyball clinic for our youth volleyball league.
Art and Rec Connect (ARC) in Richland
County
Art and Rec Connect (ARC) is a new experimental learning program that the Richland County Recreation Foundation launched this summer. The program aims to help youth connect with nature while creating beautiful art projects. Local art teachers, in conjunction with a Richland County Recreation Commission (RCRC) staff member, design and facilitate the art projects, allowing participants to learn new techniques and create artwork to take home. The program provides all of the necessary art supplies, along with snacks and Italian ices.
Camp Greer was filled with lots of fun, action, and creative events this summer! Campers enjoyed a parade showcasing different mascots from around the greater Greer area. There was also a mock car auction where they could “bid” on multiple vehicles, including a Greer Police Department patrol car and the Greenville Triumph Soccer car. The children had a blast this summer and can’t wait for what next year holds at Camp Greer!
Camp Greer
A Busy Summer in Rock Hill
North Myrtle Beach Great Christmas Light Show
Rock Hill Parks, Recreation and Tourism had a great summer with traditional events, camps and programs, but had an extra scoop of fun with week-long tourism events that kept them on their toes!
In July, the Sports & Event Center hosted 12 days of Adidas 3SSB Basketball including the Palmetto Road Championships for boys and girls. This was followed by six days of the NCAA Basketball Academy where student athletes attended life skills classes and honed their skills on the court. Both events brought NCAA coaches and NBA scouts looking to recruit their next star player. These events, plus a few others, brought close to 50K visitors to Rock Hill and created an estimated direct economic impact to the area of $19.7 million in July.
August brought the return of ESPN8: The Ocho, with 15 hours of live coverage of unique sports from the Sports & Event Center and Manchester Meadows. Featured sports included dodgeball, wiffleball, pop-a-shot basketball, slippery stairs and others. Then the ten-day American Cornhole League World Championships brought thousands of cornhole enthusiasts to town. The USA Cycling Masters Track Nationals six-day event at the Rock Hill Velodrome wrapped up a busy summer.
Summerville Parks & Rec.Sweet Tea Half Marathon, 10K & 5K is Nov. 2
The North Myrtle Beach Great Christmas Light Show is glowing with new features this year! The annual drive through light show, located at the North Myrte Beach Park & Sports Complex, is back for its ninth year. With an unbelievable drive through experience and Santa’s Village to visit afterwards, you don’t want to miss the holiday fun! They have added two new themed lands and over 50,000 new lights to make the Great Christmas Light Show better than ever. Come be a part of our drive through experience and get in the holiday spirit.
AGENCIES: SUBMIT YOUR UPDATES!
Submit your #HeresWhatsHappening and Beyond the Business Card articles for a future issue of SCRPA magazine. Send your text (70 words or less) plus up to three high resolution photos to: Alison Cribb at ACribb@CityofAikenSC.gov.
Make every step sweet by joining Summerville Parks & Rec. on November 2 for the Sweet Tea Half Marathon, 10K, & 5K. This year is shaping up to be the best one yet - see you there!
Beyond the Business Card
Charlene Granville | Richland County Recreation Commission
Charlene Granville has served Richland County Recreation Commission (RCRC) for 21 years in many different roles. As the Center Supervisor at Ballentine Park Community Center, Charlene developed arts programs, community special events, and deep relationships with patrons and community partners, all while teaching low-impact exercise classes. Now, as the Assistant Recreation Superintendent, she is reopening their community centers across the county, some of which have not had programs since early 2020, ensuring sustainable growth.
Joshua Singleton | St. Andrew’s Parks and Playground Commission
St. Andrew’s Parks and Playground Commission is pleased to announce the promotion of Joshua Singleton to the newly created role of Director of Community Relations. In his new position, Mr. Singleton will leverage his extensive experience and deep connections within the community to spearhead fundraising initiatives that support their organization’s mission. This role is vital for expanding our outreach, enhancing our programs, and ensuring sustainable growth.
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North Myrtle Beach Halloween
BOOnanza
By: Kaitlyn Nimmons, North Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation Department
Each fall, the City of North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation Department hosts their Annual Halloween BOOnanza at the North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex. It is a night full of games, candy, marshmallow roasting, trick-or-treating, and more. The community comes dressed in their best Halloween costumes ready for an evening of Halloween fun! The Parks & Recreation department sets up over 30 different life-size lawn games for families to win prizes and candy, a variety of bounce houses, marshmallow roasting with the North Myrtle Beach Fire Department, and a magic show for families to enjoy.
To ensure the success of this monumental event, North Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation partners with students from Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC. These dedicated volunteers generously donate their time to assist with setup, management, distributing candy and prizes, and ensuring the smooth cleanup of the games. Additionally, they lend their creative touch by assisting with event decorations, ensuring families can fully immerse themselves in the Halloween spirit. The Coastal Carolina Leadership class, which is a part of the Recreation and Sports Management Program at the University, focuses on building great leaders for our future recreation and sports departments.
Halloween BOOnanza is a crucial part of their semester to ensure hands-on experience within a parks and recreation department. They learn leadership and communication skills before the event and utilize their knowledge to manage the event and make it a success.
Each year, the North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation department has over 35 student volunteers to help with the event.
Along with the student volunteers, local businesses can sponsor the event and be present that day to help run the games and fun. Last year, Escapeology in Myrtle Beach was the sponsor, and they provided four staff members to assist in running some of the games. When local businesses sponsor the event, the Parks & Recreation Department acknowledges their contribution by featuring their business in all event advertising and promotion, including social media posts and prominently displayed signage during the event. The City of North Myrtle Beach loves partnering with sponsors for their events.
With the support of volunteers, sponsors, and the community at large, Halloween BOOnanza continues to grow each year, attracting thousands of attendees from Horry County and beyond. It serves as a shining example of the power of community support in creating meaningful and enjoyable experiences for all.
Putting P E P in the Step OF ADULTS with Special Needs
By: Jessica Jackson, Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission
Enrichment is defined as, “the act of improving or enhancing the quality or value of something.” The definition is simple, the acts can be simple, but the value is exponential. Enrichment opportunities empower individuals, advance skill sets, and drive value. Opportunities to enrich the lives of others, and by extension the life of the park, should never be overlooked or underappreciated. These opportunities are the very reason local park programming remains essential, as they play a crucial
role in strengthening the foundation of our community.
The Palmetto Enrichment Program is the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission’s newest Therapeutic Recreation program. “PEP,” as it is fondly known, was designed to meet several goals, including the retention and advancement of life skill sets, growing independence and confidence, fostering friendships, maintaining a lifestyle of wellness, and community immersion. However, it has one singular core value – ENRICHMENT.
One of the most vulnerable of all minority groups, are those who have barriers to advocating for themselves. An often overlooked and forgotten demographic, adults with special needs often disappear in communities that have not evolved to be adaptive, inclusive, and welcoming. Specifically, once individuals age out of the local school system, there is a drastic drop in services provided. PEP has set out to change the lives of these individuals and the perspective of the community in which they live.
PEP offers a day full of inclusive, adaptive opportunities customized to its amazing participants. A typical day includes adaptive yoga, walks along the beautiful park trails, time at the local library mingling with other book lovers, enjoying quiet moments, playing games, crafting, meal prep, and much more. Additionally, PEP benefits the participant's caregivers who are attempting to maintain fulltime employment while providing nurturing care for their loved ones.
Most importantly, the PEP participants actively add value to the community while participating in the program. They make dog treats for pups visiting the parks and sell popsicles at the "PEPsicles" stand, featured at Leo’s Landing, the beautifully inclusive playground
in Saluda Shoals Park. PEP participants also run two weekly Meals on Wheels routes for local seniors, ensuring they can interact with friendly faces and enjoy a warm and filling meal. Through this partnership with the senior services department, one vulnerable community can serve another. The PEP participants get to experience enrichment through enriching the lives of others.
Interacting with the Palmetto Enrichment Program is sure to put some “pep in your step.” The Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission invites you to visit anytime and looks forward to more park systems offering similar programs to enhance their communities and the lives of these deserving, capable, and awesome adults.
Pursuing Partnerships with Purpose COMMUNITY Partnerships
By: Leslie Wilson and Lisa Lewis, Richland County Recreation Commission
Imagine 35 children painting on canvas with acrylic paint, 1,000 adults enjoying smooth jazz on a spring evening, or seniors competing to represent their county in the SC Senior Sports Classic. What do these events have in common? They all rely on the support of community partners and corporate donors.
Throughout the year, Richland County Recreation Commission (RCRC) and Richland County Recreation Foundation (RCRF) actively pursue partnerships that elevate programs and events, carefully considering the impact these initiatives will have on patrons and partners.
RCRF collaborates closely with the RCRC to create impactful, meaningful, and sustainable
programs through partnerships with local businesses, corporations, and professional sports teams. These collaborations enrich lives and connect communities by providing diverse recreational opportunities. Together, both organizations offer programs that entertain, inspire, educate, and build community among participants. Our shared goal is to create lasting, positive change in
the lives of those we serve, strengthening and connecting our community.
By focusing on impact, we explore new partnerships we might not have considered.
The Charlotte Hornets and the Carolina Panthers, our closest professional sports teams, are committed to positively impacting youth in the Carolinas. Through their charitable giving, we provide unique sports
camp opportunities at no cost to families in our community. For example, the Richland County High School Football Player of the Year Skills and Drills Combine features training equipment and tackling dummies donated by the Panthers organization. Facilitated by high school senior football players, youth rotate through different football stations to learn new techniques. Our Therapeutic Recreation Program also participates in the Panthers Challenger Flag Football League for children and young adults of varying abilities, funded by a Carolina Panthers Charities grant. Athletes can cheer, play football, engage in competitive scrimmages, and attend a Panthers game in Charlotte. The Hornets organization led a Hoops Clinic for 100 local youth, providing equipment, instruction, encouragement, and ticket vouchers to attend a future Hornets game. These programs create immediate excitement and growth among participants and help patrons discover their passions and develop new skills and connections over time.
We prioritize clear communication to maximize our positive relationships with our partners. We recognize our partners at every opportunity, tagging them on social media posts and acknowledging them in our program guides. We make their contributions visible to patrons and the public. The key to pursuing purposeful partnerships is cultivating relationships between partner organizations, patrons, and programmers by promoting business and community partners before, during, and after the event. Positive promotion across communication channels benefits everyone involved.
As you pursue partnerships in your community, ask yourself these questions:
• What impact do you want to make on the community with the program or event?
• What impact will the partnership have on the partner organizations?
• How will you honor and highlight the partnership?
• How can you sustain and extend the partnership's impact beyond the initial agreement?
By focusing on impact, your organization can build partnerships that align with long-term goals, deepen community relationships, and create broader opportunities. By shaping programming and event planning around your organization's larger purposes, you will attract like-minded businesses and organizations, enhancing the impact for everyone involved.
CommunitY Partnerships in Greer
By: Lauren Grishaber and Lindsey Shaffer, City of Greer
The City of Greer is committed to actively supporting and contributing to our community by collaborating with local businesses and nonprofits for a variety of special events. Freedom Blast is a time to honor active duty or veteran services members of the U.S Armed Forces. The event's long-standing sponsor, Texas Roadhouse, has been a valued partner for more than a decade. Texas Roadhouse goes above and beyond by generously providing meals for the service members and their families, volunteers, and staff during the event. They also provide their famous ribs for the crowd favorite rib eating contest.
Texas Roadhouse has also sponsored the Greer Idol and Greer Idol, Jr. competitions for many years, which take place during our Tunes in the Park Event Series. Cammy Lee (legendary store marketer) and Michael Niemeyer (managing partner) from the Taylors, SC location, take great care of city staff, volunteers, and performing bands by providing meals during the event. “Cammy is always so happy to see our team and makes us all laugh when she arrives. We are grateful for the continued support we
receive from Texas Roadhouse and their commitment to the community.”
Greer Relief and Resources Agency is another one of Greer’s valued sponsors, and supports events including our Food Truck Rollout and Christmas Tree Lighting. Greer Relief plays a vital role in the city and surrounding areas by providing assistance to fight hunger, resources for the homeless, and meeting other needs in the community. During Food Truck Rollout, the agency’s volunteers sell alcoholic beverages, with
all proceeds benefitting their nonprofit organization. Greer Relief also assists with the Christmas Tree Lighting by providing s’mores and a hot chocolate station. This event kicks off our “Christmas in Greer” weekend, which concludes with the Greer Christmas Parade, a staple community event, organized by Greer Relief.
These are just a few of the examples that demonstrate the crucial role of community partnerships in enhancing parks and recreation programs through collaboration with local businesses and nonprofits. These partnerships are vital in fostering a vibrant, supportive community and ensuring the success of local events.
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Behind the Scenes: Switching Up Our Registration Software
By: Jessica Campbell, City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Transitioning to a new registration platform can feel like a daunting adventure for a recreation agency. We wanted to share some of the challenges we encountered along the way, along with some friendly tips to help you navigate your own journey.
Techie Troubles:
• Data Migration: Moving all our member information, class registrations, and financial records to a new system took time and care. Tip: Develop a detailed plan for data migration, including mapping out what goes where, checking everything thoroughly, and testing to ensure accuracy
• Integration with Existing Systems: Getting the new platform to work seamlessly with our other softwares, like accounting and sales systems, could be tricky. Tip: Test the integration thoroughly to ensure everything syncs up and data remains accurate.
• Learning Curve: Learning the ins and outs of the new platform took some effort from our staff, which occasionally slowed down their workflow. Tip: Consider rolling out the new system in phases to ease the transition and gather feedback to make adjustments along the way.
Organizational Headaches:
• Resistance to Change: Some team members and customers were hesitant to embrace the new system, especially if they were fond of the old one. Tip: A thoughtful change management plan can help address concerns and highlight the benefits of the new platform.
• Communication and Training: Clear communication and training were key to getting everyone on board and ensuring they felt comfortable using the new system. Tip: Offer thorough training and ongoing support so everyone can feel confident and competent with the new platform.
• Cost: Implementing a new registration platform can come with a price tag, especially if it needs customization. Tip: Conduct a detailed cost-benefit analysis to help justify the investment and ease any worries about expenses.
Functional Bumps:
• Loss of Features: The new platform might not include every feature we've grown accustomed to. Tip: Take the time to carefully compare features to ensure the new system meets your unique needs.
• Data Security: Keeping our members' data safe and sound is paramount. Tip: Implement robust security measures like encryption, access controls, and regular backups to protect data.
• User Experience: We want the new platform to be user-friendly for both staff and members to avoid frustrations. Tip: Engage in user testing to gather feedback on the platform's usability and make adjustments as needed.
Extra Suggestions:
• Get Everyone Involved: Bring in key people, both staff and customers, to be part of the transition process. A tech-savvy staff member or a peer leader can champion the transition.
• Seek Expert Advice: Lean on your Finance and IT staff for their experience with platform transitions. Consulting with other recreation agencies can also provide valuable recommendations.
• Have Backup Plans: Be prepared for any bumps in the road. Consider running both the old and new systems side by side for a while, or using paper forms as a backup.
By keeping these pointers in mind, you can tackle the challenges that come with moving to a new registration platform and make the switch a success!
How Enterprise Research Planning Software Improved Agency Operations
By: Sarah Reynolds, Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission
The geographic spread of the Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission’s (CCPRC) parks and facilities means that some sites are separated by over 50 miles. The logistics of accessing central support services, like finance and human resources, resulted in delays and inefficiencies of daily operations. Overcoming this geographical challenge and improving agency efficiency and productivity were some of the key goals
for CCPRC when they implemented an Enterprise Research Planning (ERP) software system.
In recent years, CCPRC has implemented Tyler Technologies’ Enterprise ERP, an enterprise resource planning software system that is already familiar to some SCRPA member organizations, to help automate and manage core organizational functions. It has been a crucial step
towards creating a stable, efficient, and collaborative environment for the agency.
“The immediate benefit of implementing an ERP was the reduction of the quantity of disparate systems,” said CCPRC IT Project Manager, Melissa Muse, a key member of the team that brought the ERP to the organization. She goes on to add that, “in the initial phase, we were able to centralize all financial functions, migrating from four
different software systems to one. In the second phase, we implemented most of our human resource functions, again, eliminating another major system. Not only was this more cost effective, but it allowed us to centralize support on one major platform instead of multiple. We can now audit history and better secure access to stored data.”
Additionally, the ERP allowed the agency to digitize processes that had traditionally been done on paper or were stored in individual Excel workbooks and documents, including the budget, contract management, employee orientations, employee evaluations, employee training, and capital projects.
CCPRC is comprised of more than 20 park sites, manages an extensive operating budget, and employs over 180 full-time staff, and over 1,300 part-time and seasonal employees. The implementation of the ERP has centralized many financial and human resources processes into one digital location, saving the time it previously took to physically reach support services in the past.
“Integration of these functions has reduced the number of data silos, data duplication, and allows information flow across departments, improving communication and
collaboration,” said Muse. “We are now able to obtain approvals within hours, where before could take up to a week. We now have real-time access to accurate data and can make organizational decisions more effectively. “
Using the ERP, the onboarding of employees can also be done at the employee’s pace, at any hour, making it easier for new hires to start work.
Enterprise ERP provides scalability and flexibility, and CCPRC has yet to implement all the functionality available. Within the
next two years, CCPRC plans to incorporate ERP’s new Time and Attendance mobile app, maintenance work orders, and employee certifications.
As the organization continues to grow, and as new technologies emerge, CCPRC has recognized that agility is crucial in a technological landscape in which our agencies need the ability to adapt quickly. It also has a renewed dedication to continuous improvement, including regular evaluations of existing processes and procedures to identify opportunities for optimization.
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