Welcome Tim Herd!

We would like to welcome Tim Herd, CPRE to the PRPS Office as the Interim Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society effective today until a formal search for a permanent Executive Director has been completed.  

While in college, Tim toured with the singing group Re-Creation, an initiative of the Penn State University Recreation Department. He performed in state parks and other venues, including the 1977 National Recreation and Parks Congress in Las Vegas, where the troupe shared the stage with the keynote speaker Robert Redford.

After graduation, Tim started a similar entertainment group for Kiawah Island Resort, and served as the Family Program Supervisor there. With his background in the natural sciences, he later became a staff naturalist for the Somerset County (NJ) Park Commission's then-state-of-the-art solar-heated and cooled environmental education center.

In 1987, he founded The Roving Nature Center, providing outdoor recreation and environmental education in schools and parks "from Boston to Erie to Virginia Beach." It was then that Tim developed partnerships with many of Pennsylvania's municipal recreation departments to offer summer nature day camps in their local parks. The RNC's education programs were nationally recognized by the Take Pride in America Campaign for their "commitment and exceptional contribution to the stewardship of America's natural and cultural resources."

More recently, Tim served as the Executive Director of the Stroud Region Open Space and Recreation Commission in East Stroudsburg. He is a graduate of NRPA's Directors School, and was among the first professionals in the nation to achieve the Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE) certification.

Tim is extremely grateful and pleased to be appointed Interim Executive Director, and is eager to bring his full energies to enhancing our profession throughout the state. He may be contacted directly at herd@prps.org.  

Free Webinar: Park Champions Advocacy Initiative - Planning Your Park Champion Event

May 21

2:30 pm

Join NRPA's Public Policy team and learn tips, tricks and tools for hosting a member of Congress at your Park Champion event. You'll learn what kind of events work best for inviting members of Congress as well as how to invite Congressional members, media and other VIPs to your event in order to raise the profile of the work you do within your community.  

Register here!

Register Now for the Creating a Vision for Positive Leadership Workshop (.6 CEUs)

April 30 - Masonic Villages, Sewickley

(On site registrations are welcome)

Our ever-changing work environment presents daily challenges to current and future leaders. An effective leader needs to create a positive workplace for  employees. This workshop will provide the knowledge and skills required to challenge, motivate and grow employees' careers. Tools explored include Seven Career Coaching Questions, performance reviews and reinforcement.

Comments from past attendees:

"Most workshops we attend for the CEU's.  However, this workshop had useful applications.  Speakers made a great team."

"Hearing how the three topics of positive feedback, coaching and delegation all tie together in the workplace was worth my time."

"Loved all the information that was shared and know I will be using it in the future." 

For more details, click here. Register online!

20 Great Biking & Hiking Trails in Western PA

Get outside and explore Western PA! Each trail has been lovingly constructed and maintained, using old infrastructure to reconnect disparate communities - See more at: http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Pittsburgh-Magazine/April-2015/20-Great-Biking-Hiking-Trails-in-Western-Pennsylvania/index.php?cparticle=1&siarticle=0#artanc

Get Outdoors PA Webinar: Using Social Media to promote your outdoor recreation programs

May 21

1:00 - 2:00 pm

Encourage greater participation in your programs today by registering for this webinar and learning the tricks of the trade in communication and promotion by social media!

REGISTER TODAY!   

Leading and defining organizational culture and why it matters

Where quality is valued over quantity, creativity is more important than conformity, and cooperation trumps competition, both the leadership team and the business thrive.
 

How would you describe the overall atmosphere in your office? Are your public statements verified or disproved by your employees' behaviors? What kinds of perceptions are revealed in their candid comments? Do your people feel appreciated-or depreciated? How does their collective demeanor affect the quality of their work and the comprehensive customer experience?

47th Annual Therapeutic Recreation Institute June 3-5, 2015 DoubleTree Resort, Lancaster, PA

Opening Keynote:

Upcoming PRPS/PTRS Trainings

To register online for these workshops, click here.

Swimming Pool Spring Workshops

Click here for the brochure.

April 27, 2015 - Swimming Pool Pesticide Applicator Recertification Workshop (6 Core and 4 Category 24 Pesticide Credits)

Location: Trails and Trees Environmental Center, Mechanicsburg, PA

April 28, 2015 - Swimming Pool Management 101 Workshop

April 29, 2015 - Department of Agriculture Core and Category 24 Pesticide Applicator Certification Exams

Location: Trails and Trees Environmental Center, Mechanicsburg, PA

April 30, 2015 

Creating a Vision for Positive Leadership 

Masonic Village, Sewickley, PA

May 5-7, 2015

Certified Playground Safety Inspector Certification Course

Middletown Township - Bucks County

May 11, 2015

No Health Without Mental Health

MossRehab, Elkins Park, PA 

October 22, 2015

Resource Operations Workshop (registration not yet available)

Cabela's, Hamburg

Greenways & Trails Summit - Save the Date!

D2 Fundraising Event for All

It is probably no surprise that District II is once again participating in Hersheypark's volunteer fundraising program.  You can help raise funds for PRPS by volunteering to work a shift this season (*In case the volunteer program is new to you, click below for more details).  Hersheypark has not made any changes for the upcoming season, so things will be handled just like they were in 2014:  shift times will remain in 3, 4 or 5 hour time blocks and PRPS will receive $6 for each hour you work.

Of course, you personally will still receive a free admission voucher (s) for each shift you work as well.  Availability of any given date may change; other organizations are also scheduling volunteers.  It is important to schedule as early as possible.  You may volunteer for more than one shift if you wish and other family and friends may volunteer as well, provided they are at least 18 years of age.  Volunteers must have no known violent, criminal sexual or felony convictions and no outstanding warrants. 

Click here for more details and the schedule.