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Facility Management Workshop Sessions

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Capital Planning

Breakout 1

Speakers
  • Michelle Kelly
  • Ryan Gory
Summary
IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL: Agencies are tasked with ensuring their residents have opportunity to participate in quality recreation programs and services. In order to effectively deliver on those services, agencies must be concerned with the planning of present and future capital development/improvements. Creating a multi-year capital plan for your agency or department is a great way to engage key stakeholders in the process of delivering quality services, ensure the department/agency secures the necessary funds during budget time, and position the agency to apply for grants that can help alleviate costs for the taxpayers. Come listen to Michelle Kelly and Ryan Gory as they share their experiences with the capital planning process and provide tips on how to make the process more effective for your agency. Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to... 1. List the steps to creating a facility, park, or agency Master Plan. 2. Identify key tools to research capital costs. 3. Locate grant sources for capital projects.

Aquatics: It's Not So Scary

Breakout 1

Speakers
  • Alex Hartzell
  • Jenn Foreman
  • Katie Dunn
Summary
IN-PERSON ONLY: Aquatics can be a lifestyle change, but it has a lot more benefits for long term career growth. Thinking about jumping in the deep end and learn the life of an aquatics professional? This eclectic panel of professionals will discuss transitioning into their aquatics roles from their various backgrounds. There are some lifelong aquatics professionals and some who decided to jump in the deep end without lifeguarding experience. Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to... 1. Learn how to transition from part-timer to full-timer. 2. Discover correlational skills for the world of Parks and Recreation. 3. Learn time management for the known and unknown commitments of your outdoor or indoor facility.

Creative Safety Trainings

Breakout 2

Speakers
  • Paul Crisman
Summary
IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL: Come learn how to implement create safety trainings at your agency to keep staff involved and become more hands-on throughout the training. Your staff are begging you....evolve from the traditional sit-down trainings with PowerPoint and videos to a more dynamic get-up-and-move training of creating scenarios and fun activities to keep staff engaged and relaxed at the same time. Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to... 1. Make sure you have an active and dedicated safety committee. 2. Create a flow to the training to keep staff engaged and open to learn the material. 3. Know your topics, you may not know everything but be prepared to answer questions.

Incorporating Green Practices in Recreation Facilities

Breakout 2

Speakers
  • Gareth Blakesley
Summary
IN-PERSON ONLY: Recycling is NOT dead! Presented by Gareth Blakesley of the popular Lake Katherine in Palos Heights, this presentation will focus on the benefits of recycling, different methods of recycling, and waste reduction. Many institutions struggle with how to effectively recycle, and let’s face it, simply putting recycle bins out is not enough. With a little institutional analysis, you can develop a plan for your facility that will help staff, and more importantly the public, to appropriately recycle and reduce unnecessary waste. Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to... 1. Understand how to conduct a waste-hauler contract analysis. 2. Identify strategies of appropriate recycling for staff and the public. 3. List waste reduction tips for their facility.

Lunch and Facility Tours

Lunch & Facility Tours

Summary
Lunch is included with in-person registration, and following lunch with be guided facility tours led by Des Plaines Park District staff.

Mission-Focused Membership Retention and Promotions for Your Facility

Breakout 3

Speakers
  • Lukas Wyss
  • Rosie Edwards
Summary
IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL: In a general sense, every facility strives to meet a specific purpose and metric, but depending on the district, these two things can vary drastically. Having different goals can lead to some very different outcomes if the same strategy is used. Learn how to put your agency's mission at the forefront of your retention and promotion strategies to satisfy your constituents. Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to... 1. List strategies for membership retention by understanding the balance between fitness/aquatics in a community-focused and revenue-generation lens. 2. Identify facility category and understand strategy for promotion and retention. 3. Define facility needs to build a strategy for retention and promotion.

ADA Preventative Maintenance & Capital Improvements

Breakout 3

Speakers
  • Christopher Corbett
Summary
IN-PERSON ONLY: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is one of the many federally-mandated laws to which Park Districts are required to provide “reasonable accommodations” under Title III (Public Accommodations). What does this mean for Park District facilities? It means facility managers must know the age of their facilities for ADA mandates, minimum standards for accessibility (so you can exceed them!), barriers that need to be removed for compliance, and funding opportunities for capital improvements. Attendees are encouraged to come prepared with questions and ready to discuss how their facilities are impacted by ADA. Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to... 1. Identify minimum standards for accessibility for alterations & new construction of facilities. 2. Understand the importance of barrier removal in existing buildings to comply with ADA. 3. Explain common misconceptions regarding ADA vs convenience improvements.

Trauma-Informed Customer Service

Closing Keynote

Speakers
  • Tracey Crawford - Executive Director, NWSRA
    Tracey Crawford was appointed as the Executive Director at Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA) and the President of Special Leisure Services Foundation (SLSF) in late 2011. NWSRA was formed in 1973 to provide a full spectrum of recreation services to individuals with disabilities. NWSRA is a partnership of 17 park districts in the northwest suburbs of Chicago committed to supporting community access to recreation for people with disabilities. SLSF is a 501© (3) non-profit foundation and is the fundraising arm of NWSRA. Crawford’s 32 years of professional experience in parks and recreation includes 9 years as the Inclusion Coordinator/Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and Assistant Director at Fox Valley Special Recreation Association (FVSRA) in Aurora, IL; two and a half years as the Manager of Inclusion Services, nine years as the Superintendent of Recreation, one and a half years as the Superintendent of Development and Interim Director at Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA) and currently the Executive Director of Northwest Special Recreation Association. Crawford earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Iowa. A Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and a Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP). She is actively involved in professional organizations, having served in leadership roles with the Illinois Therapeutic Recreation Section (ITRS) of the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA), and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). She is the Past Chairman on the IPRA Board of Directors and is also a Past President of the branch of NRPA that was dedicated to therapeutic recreation. She currently serves on the IPR Foundation (IPRF) Board and the IPRA Diversity Leadership Task Force and the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) as Past President and on the Illinois Recreation Therapeutic Association (ILRTA) Board as the ITRS Liaison. Tracey was a member of the Rolling Meadows Rotary Club and was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow Award for her support of Rotary Foundation a humanitarian effort. Currently Tracey serves on the Rolling Meadows Chamber of Commerce Board. In 2023, Crawford was awarded the Robert Artz Lifetime Achievement Award at the IAPD/IPRA Soaring to New Heights Conference. She received the Meritorious Service Award from NTRS for her work in the field of Therapeutic Recreation, particularly in inclusion. She is also the recipient of the National Institute on Recreation Inclusion (NIRI) Excellence in Inclusion Award. Crawford was also awarded the IPRA Chairman’s Award three times for her outstanding efforts to make the Ethnic Minority Society a full-fledged section of IPRA and her dedication to the field through her continuous involvement on boards, committees, and task forces, which has raised the visibility of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in the state professional association. Crawford was awarded the Daily Herald Business Ledger’s Influential Woman in Business Award and in was inducted into the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA), served as the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee Co-Chair, and currently serves as the President Elect of the Academy Board of Directors. Tracey was honored as the Community Leader of Year by the Rolling Meadows, Illinois Chamber of Commerce, and the Professional of the Year for ILRTA. Tracey was asked to serve on the IPRA Diversity Leadership Task Force where she co-created the Safe Zone Conversation Model, which has been used in over 100 park and recreation agencies in Illinois and nationally. In collaboration with NRPA, the Safe Zone Conversation Facilitation Model was introduced nationally to five states. Crawford is dedicated to promoting recreation for everyone and frequently speaks at state and national conferences about inclusion of individuals with disabilities into park and recreation programs. She has authored or co-authored inclusion articles published in the Illinois Park and Recreation magazine as well as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion articles in NRPA Magazine and Illinois Park and Recreation Magazine, the Recreation Access publication, and the first chapter for inclusion through Human Kinetics which was published in 2011 and has completed an administrative chapter for inclusion in 2022 through Human Kinetics as well. Tracey is also a Subject Matter Expert on DEI for Berry Dunn, an accounting and managing consulting firm, BCG Learning Solution of North America and Co-Owner of Black Girl Moments, LLC. Tracey believes growth comes to those who seek it and through her career she has done just that. She is committed to mentoring and coaching the next generation of professionals to lead our profession into the future.
Summary
IN-PERSON & VIRTUAL: The Pandemic is over, but those of us in customer services roles are still feeling the shock waves. Have you experienced, impatient customers, unfiltered comments, people demanding immediate gratification and anxious customers, staff, stakeholders? You are not alone! The premise of this Trauma-Informed Customer Service presentation is to recognize that our past experiences (COVID) influences our present and ways in which we engage with the world and each other. All while trying to use empathy to understand others' perspectives. Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to... 1. Explain the definition of trauma and be able to identify and understand the impact of trauma. 2. Understand the importance of trauma informed customer service. 3. List strategies for trauma-informed customer service and implementing policies and procedures.

Post-Event Social

Social

Summary
Following the Facility Management Workshop will be a social at Beacon's Tap, located at 1374 Lee Street, Des Plaines, 60018
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