This document outlines the stages of a parks and recreation career and opportunities for professional development at each stage. It identifies four main career stages: foundational/early career, mid-career, late mid-career, and encore career. Each stage includes recommended relationship building, educational opportunities, certifications, and leadership roles to focus on for professional growth. The overall message is around continuous learning, mentoring others, and leaving the profession in a better state than when you entered it.

1. Elevating the
Parks and
Recreation
Profession
Dirk Richwine, CPRE
September, 2020

2. How To
Be
Outstandin
g in
Your Field
Four stages
of a career
Professional
Development
Opportunities
How to
Develop a
Career Path
Similar to the
Game of Life

3. Four
Stages of
Your
Career
Mile Run is Four Laps
Foundational
Early career
Mid Career
Late Mid Career
Leadership/Stewardship
Encore Career

4. Professional Development Road Map
Purpose or Road Map: Provide an illustration to assist Parks and Recreation Professionals in their growth and development
Encore Career
"Leave it better than you found it"-
Claude Ahrens
Stewardship/Leadership Stage
Stewardship of the Profession (Knowledge Tansfer, Relationships, Budilging
Bridges between Professionals)
Recognized with NRPA Individual
Award
Service as a CAPRA Commissioner AAPRA Membership
Relationship Building: ??????
Late Mid Career
Mentor Mid Career Professional(s)
Attend Executive Development
Institute's
Lead Agency through CAPRA
Accreditation
Apply for Agency Gold Medal
Relationship Building: Community Partners- YMCA, Hospitals, Colleges, Social Servie Providers, Economic Development Comission
Regent/Faculty at National School
Present Information at National
School
Serve as a CAPRA Lead Serve as an Adjunct Professor
Develop Your Tool Box- Represent
City/County on a visionary project
Mid Career
Relationship Building: Key agencies outside of home agency- County/State providers,
State Association Leadership
(President, At Large Rep)
Director's School
Serve on CPRP/CPSI/AFO Test
Writing Committee
Serve as a CAPRA/COAPRT Visitor
Develop Your Tool Box-Ask for
Special Projects
Apply For National Agency Awards
Relationship Building: Key groups within community (user groups, special interest, service groups, etc)
Leadership within Leadership
Network
Mentor Young /Entry Level
Professional(s)
Present information at NRPA
Conference
CPRE Attend CAPRA Training
Develop Your Tool Box- Lead
Community Meetings
Apply for State Awards Entry Points
Early Career
Relationship Building: Other Departments/Divisions within Agency/Department
State/Regional Association
Involvement (Task Force Chair)
Leadership within Young
Professionals Network
Join Leadership Network State/Regional presentation CPRP or CPSI or AFO/CPO Revenue Management School
Develop Your Tool Box- Sit in on
Council/Board Meetings
Apply for Regional Awards
Relationship Building: Peer Network within/external of agency
Local Professional Organizations Join Young Professionals Network
Join State/National Mentoring
Program
Present Information at Home Agency Basic Certifications (CPR, First Aid)
Supervisor's or Resource
Management School
Obtain Skills in Parks, Rec, Aquatics,
Events, Planning
Deve;op Your Tool Box- Volunteer for
Special Events
Apply for Local/Community Awards
Join Local Service Club Mentor an Intern Present Information to Work Group
Visit other Parks and Recreation
Agencies/Facilities
Read- Professional Publications,
Journals, Books
Attend Free Trainings- NRPA, FEMA,
NAYS, LERN, AB
Develop Your Tool Box- Adobe,
Powerpoint, Excel, MS Office, Coding
Develop your Tool Box- Subscribe to
NRPA Connect
"Make it better than you found it/better than it is"
COAPRT
7.01 Entry Level Professional shall demonstrate entry-level knowledge: a) the nature and scope
of the relevant park, recreation, tourism or related professions and their associated industries;
b) techniques and processes used by professionals and workers in these industries; and c) the
foundation of the profession in history, science and philosophy.
7.02 Entry Level Professional shall be able to demonstrate the ability to
design, implement, and evaluate services that facilitate targeted human
experiences and that embrace personal and cultural dimensions of diversity
7.03 Entry Level Professional shall be able to demonstrate entry-level
knowledge about operations and strategic management/administration in
parks, recreation, tourism and/or related professions.
7.04 Entry Level Professionals shall demonstrate, through a comprehensive internship of not
less than 400 clock hours and no fewer than 10 weeks, the potential to
succeed as professionals at supervisory or higher levels in park, recreation, tourism, or related
organizations.
College
Enter the profession with course work related ???????????????????????
Enter the profession with course work related to sociology, psychology,
human development
Enter the profession with course work related to management,
administration, marketing Previous full time/part time experience in recreation, parks, youth development, special events,
community engagement
HS
Previous full time/part time experience in recreation, parks, youth development, special events, community engagement

5. Education
al
Foundatio
n
High School
College
degree
COPART
University
degree
Masters
degree

6. Development Opportunities
• Continuous Improvement
• Awards
• Instruction
• Certifications
• Professional Association
Leadership
• Continuous Learning
• Mentoring
• Education
• CEU’s/Accreditation
• Develop Your Tools

7. Early Career
• Local professional
organizational
• NRPA Young Professional
Network
• Basic Certifications (Red Cross,
FEMA)
• Presentations at State or Local
• Apply for Awards
• Attend Free Trainings
• Develop good reading habits
• Join state mentoring programs
• Attend other NRPA Schools and
conferences
• Visit other Agencies
• Volunteer for Special Events
• Subscribe to NRPA Connect
• Develop good computer skills
• Sit in on City Council meetings
• Lead community or
neighborhood meetings
• CPRP

8. Mid Career
• Leadership within NRPA
Networks
• State Association Leadership
• Present at NRPA Conference
• CPRE
• CAPRA/COPART Visitor
• Become a Mentor
• CPRE
• Work on special projects
• Lead community meetings
• Be an Agency Representative
• Apply for grants and awards

9. Late Mid Career
• Regent at School
• Present at National School or
Conference
• Lead Agency through
Accreditation
• Mentor younger professionals
• Serve as CAPRA Chair
• Represent our agency in
visionary project
• Apply for National Awards-
Gold Medal
• Instruct of local college or
university

10. Late Mid Career
• Professional Recognition
• Senior level leader on Committees or Commissions
• AAPRA Membership
• Mentoring Young Professionals
• Gold Medal
• Community Leadership
• Knowledge Transfer

11. Encore
Career
Mentoring professionals
Leading special projects
Volunteering

12. Relationshi
p Building
Wider Peer
Network
Key
Community
Partners
Other agencies
outside of
agency
Groups within
community
Wider Peer
Network
Groups in
Community
Other Agency
Divisions and
Department
Peer Network

13. Key
Comments
Disconnect with agency
Networking (Reputation)
Applying/Interviewing
Life Long Continuous Learning
Professional Relationships

14. Key
Messages
• Don’t let them do that.
• There is no substitute for hard work.
• Good judgement comes from experience
and experience comes from poor
judgement.
• No job is beneath you.
• The reward for a job well done is the
opportunity to do more.

15. Key
Messages
If you are strong, be a
protector.
If you are smart, be a
humble influencer
Strength and Knowledge
are weapons.
If you use them against
weak, you are a bully.

16. Thank you
• Dirk@DirkRichwine.com
• (702) 321-7861