Committee Extends Deadline for Two Award Categories
The WPRA Awards Committee has extended the deadline to Friday, July 26th for award nominations for the Elected Official Award and Fellowship Award . Nominations and support material should be submitted to the WPRA Office at [email protected] .

The Elected Official Award is intended to thank and recognize all of those officials who are partners in providing the Parks and Recreation programs to the members of our communities. When submitting a nomination, please include the nominee’s position, background, issues addressed or projects pursued, and the impact made on the community.

The Fellowship Award is given to recognize persons (non-WPRA members) who have made outstanding achievements or contributions to the parks and recreation movement. The impact of their contribution should be of major significance to the local community or go beyond the local community. When submitting a nomination, please include any supporting materials for the nomination.
2019 WPRA Foundation
Golf Outing

The 21st Annual WPRA Foundation Scholarship Golf Outing, sponsored in 2019 by Green Golf Partners, is quickly approaching. The 2019 event will be held on Thursday, September 12th at The Oaks Golf Course in Cottage Grove.

Mark your calendars and plan to join us for a great time while at the same time helping the WPRA Foundation to raise monies for the parks and recreation profession! 
WPRA Week Ticket
Return Form

The WPRA would like to thank everyone who participated in the WPRA Week Ticket Program this year! Participants should use the form in the link below to record their remaining tickets. Once completed, the WPRA office will send you a Ticket Program Payment Form within 3 days.

All payments and unsold WPRA Week tickets must be sent back to to the WPRA office by August 15, 2019 . Please note, this deadline is only for WPRA Week tickets. Other attraction tickets will be collected at a late date.
PARR 3 Meeting to Host Jill Mueller: Cultivate a Growth Mindset for Success
PARR 3 will be hosting their regional meeting on Friday, August 2, 2019 at Fireman's Park in the Village of DeForest. Jill Mueller of Darcy Luoma Coaching & Consulting will be presenting on how endurance and resilience can help you overcome obstacles.

Darcy Luoma Coaching & Consulting's mission is to create high-performing people and teams. They want to help you transform the way you think and live! They do this by focusing on leadership development, improving communication, and working through conflict in a positive way.

Please RSVP to Joleen Stinson at [email protected] or 608-846-6751 by Monday, July 29 . Attendees will received 0.1 CEU for $10.
Nominations for 2020 Leadership Positions Due July 31
The Wisconsin Park & Recreation Association needs you! If we are to continue having a strong association we need to make sure our boards and committees are effective and members are engaged in the work of these groups. The Association really needs YOU to get involved.

There are 23 open positions for next year between the WPRA Board, sections and regions so you have many opportunities to be engaged in the WPRA! This is your opportunity to help lead the association that is dedicated to advancing aquatics, parks, recreation, environmental conservation, and therapeutic recreation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people.
Register for the 2019 NRPA Annual Conference
The 2019 NRPA Annual Conference is coming to Baltimore this September 24-26. Join 8,000 of your peers for energetic networking activities, inspirational education sessions and an inside look at the most innovative products in the field.

You are guaranteed to leave with new ideas and best practices that will help reduce operational costs, increase efficiencies and build value for your community. Save up to $240 by registering before the early bird deadline on August 2.

Hotel
Hyatt Regency Baltimore
# of Rooms: 20 (suites available upon request when making your reservation)
State Login: NRPA19
Password: WISSTATE
Please note, registration is required prior to being able to make your hotel reservation.
 
Step One: Registration
Registration is now open! Please visit:  www.mcisemi.com/nrpa2019  and register for the conference. Do not proceed to the hotels from here.
 
Step Two: Confirmation
Confirmation of your registration will be sent to you from MCI, USA, formerly Wyndham Jade. You will find your record ID in the second paragraph, first sentence. This ID will be required with your last name to access your hotel.
 
Step Three: Housing
Go to  www.mcisemi.com/nrpa2019 , once on the housing page you will need to select "State Housing Blocks" and follow the process for reserving your room. You will need your record ID from your registration confirmation and last name to continue; PLUS your state login and password (listed above).
It's Time to #FundLWCF
In March, S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act, which includes permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was signed into law. Now, we must continue our work to guarantee the program gets full funding at $900 million every year.

Your voice is critical to ensuring that LWCF is permanently funded and this vital program will continue to open access to America’s public lands and protect the places where Americans go to enjoy the great outdoors.

The LWCF is requesting organizations to sign up to be included on their letters to Congress. You can take a look at the list of groups signed on here , and if your organization isn't already included, you can add it here .
 
For more information, please visit: https://www.lwcfcoalition.com/
2019 WPRA Pre-Conference Session Highlights
Training your Summer Camp Staff from A to Z
You only have a few precious, teachable moments with your staff before the campers arrive. We will focus on how you can effectively convey your most important staff training messages in an impactful, interactive and intentional way. You will leave with practical strategies to use as well as specific ideas and activities to implement for your summer 2020 staff orientation!

Kalahari Customer Experience & Aquatic Facility Tour
Ever wonder how in the world the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center does all the cool things it does? Here's your chance for a behind the scenes look at what it takes to operate an aquatic facility of this caliber while maintaining excellent customer service.

This once in a lifetime chance to peek behind the curtain is an awesome opportunity to ask questions of the pros and bring those answers back to your own facility.

CPSI Training & Exam
The Certified Playground Safety Inspection (CPSI) certification program is the most comprehensive training program on playground hazard identification and risk management methods offered nationwide. By becoming a CPSI, you will learn to identify hazards on public playgrounds and playground equipment, how to rank those hazards according to injury potential and how to apply that knowledge and establish a playground safety program.
Member News
WPRA Members Anthony Iracki and Kandice Newton Earn National Recognition
The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration selected Anthony Iracki for their 2019 Young Professional Externship program. Through this externship, Anthony is paired with an Academy member who will serve as a mentor during the NRPA Congress. He will have the opportunity to attend NRPA Congress meetings, education sessions, as well as network with other industry professionals. Anthony is currently the Recreation Supervisor for the Whitefish Bay Recreation and Community Education Department.
Selected by the National Recreation and Park Association, Kandice Newton received the 2019 NPRA Student Scholarship. Kandice, a student at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, will have the opportunity to explore the operation of NRPA and its governing bodies at the 2019 NRPA Conference. She will be recognized at the Best of the Best Ceremony on Wednesday, September 25 in Baltimore, Maryland. This marks the 4th year in a row that Wisconsin will be represented on stage.
Fireman’s Park in Verona, Wisconsin – Reclaiming a Reclaimed Landscape
MSA Professional Services, Inc. (MSA)
Fireman’s Park in the City of Verona, Wisconsin, is located along the shores of a reclaimed quarry site, which has been reestablished as the popular and highly visited Quarry Lake. The park has provided a public open space for soccer, picnicking, and waterfront recreation for decades.

Finding themselves in a stage of tremendous growth, Verona seized upon an opportunity to expand and improve Fireman’s Park. The City partnered with MSA Professional Services, Inc. (MSA) to develop a Master Plan for the park, and along with citizen input, determined the best direction for facility improvements and a new recreational vision.
WPRA IMPACT Call For Content

I f you or one of your staff members are interested in submitting information or an article for the quarterly IMPACT Magazine, please send content to  [email protected] .

Feel free to share this email with anyone who you think would be interested in providing content. It’s a great way to reach more than 1,200 park and recreation professionals throughout Wisconsin! 


Upcoming Deadlines
Fall 2019: July 25, 2019
Winter 2020: November 25, 2019
Spring 2020: January 25, 2020

Volunteer Opportunity: Social Media Representative

The WPRA would like to increase visibility and promote more engagement on their social media channels. The WPRA office is looking for someone to provide credible content on a weekly basis that is relevant to the Wisconsin Park and Recreation culture. The content would then be posted to WPRA's Facebook and Twitter pages by the office. This member would help provide relevant content as well as connect/follow/and like department pages which will then be shared/reposted/etc.

If you are interested or would like more information, please contact the WPRA office at [email protected] .
Upcoming 2019 Dates
Wisconsin Park & Recreation Association
414-423-1210
wpraweb.org