Greensboro Downtown Parks Inc. seeks an energized and motivated individual to serve as Executive Director. 

This full-time, salaried position requires excellent leadership and fundraising skills, organizational and park management abilities, a high level of attention to detail, strong communication skills, budget management experience, flexibility, a good sense of humor and a general comfort level working with diverse groups of people. A willingness to work numerous nights and weekends is also necessary. 

This position reports directly to the Greensboro Downtown Parks Inc. Executive Committee and will be evaluated annually based upon the organization’s success.   

See attachment for more details.

GDPI Executive Director Job Description.pdf

Ever wonder where our members are located in relation to a map of the United States? Wonder no more. Click here. This is not a real-time map and is arrived at using a download of our active members list from 10-3-22.

The Joliet Park Foundation and its agency have happened upon a heart-warming and viral story related to a stuffed animal that was found in the park.

"The song, “The Place Where the Lost Things Go”, in the 2018 file, “Mary Poppins Returns”, states that no object is truly lost forever—”just out of place.”

Such is the case with Odie, a stuffed dog who was left behind at Juliet’s Pilcher Park Nature Center for the past week. According to Sue Gulas, president of the Juliet Park Board of Commissioners, a maintenance worker found her and brought Odie to the front desk."

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The National Association of Park Foundations is proud to announce the creation of its public-facing philanthropic website located at www.supportlocalparks.org. This website was created to draw support from within and outside of the park foundation community to help fund the services that the NAPF provides to its members. 

On the website, folks can learn about the NAPF, its purpose, mission, vision and activities that support local and regional park and trail foundations, friends groups, alliances and coalitions. They can then choose to support these efforts by making a one-time or recurring donation to NAPF. The funds collected through the charitable giving app are used to offset the cost of advanced park foundation startup and restart consulting services that the NAPF offers to its members. These services are provided at a significant savings vs. hiring for-profit companies/individuals to conduct this work. The funds will also be used to assist the NAPF with creating additional training and continuing education programs. It’s a goal of the association to one-day offer a credentialing process for park foundation employees and volunteer leaders.

If you or someone you know is looking for a way to support park foundations all across America, www.supportlocalparks.org is a good place to start!

Please join the board of the National Association of Park Foundations in congratulating, our Vice-Chairperson, Debbie Trueblood, MSW, FASAE, IOM, CAE on being nominated to the Board of Directors for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). We are excited about what this opportunity holds for Debbie and believe it reflects positively upon the NAPF to have a volunteer leader serving on the board of such an important and esteemed organization as ASAE.

Learn more about ASAE here.

BY KATARINA VELAZQUEZ MILWAUKEE

PUBLISHED 9:21 AM ET JUL. 12, 2022

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County is home to 169 parks and parkways.

Jeremy Fojut is from the city and has set a personal goal for himself this summer. He plans to run through all 169 parks.

He’s doing it to raise money to benefit the parks system. He said for every kilometer he runs, he will be donating to the Milwaukee County Parks Foundation. He said this idea was inspired from his experience with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Back during the beginning of the pandemic, what place was there for everyone the most?” Fojut said. “It was the parks, and that’s why I started this journey.”

Since he began, he’s already knocked off more than 20 parks from his list, but he’s got a lot more left to conquer. His goal is to finish by the fall.

He said he isn’t a runner by nature, but he’s reaping the mental and physical benefits each day he hits the pavement.

“My focus is I want to finish this for myself, and that I’m consistent,” said Fojut.

He said Milwaukee County is full of beautiful and scenic routes, making his trek a little bit easier.

As he moves forward with each step, he said he welcomes new running partners. He hopes people feel inspired to join him along the way.

“This isn’t about those big mega donations of $20,000,” he said. “Those would be nice, but it’s about getting everybody active outdoors and in their communities.”

https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2022/07/08/man-journeys-through-all-169-of-milwaukee-county-s-parks#

The City of Greensboro is seeking a visionary leader to serve as the next Parks and Recreation Director. The director must be a passionate, strategic, innovative, and high performing leader who can continue carrying out the “Enhance. Expand. Connect” framework and vision for the Department by building on the substantial strengths of staff and community support. The Parks and Recreation Director will report to the Assistant City Manager for Community Services, works with a Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, the Greensboro Parks Foundation, and numerous other non-profit and community partners, as well as other City Council appointed boards and commissions.

Read more here: Greensboro_Parks and Recreation Director_Recruitment Brochure (1).pdf

Apply here.

On Thursday, May 26, 2022, The United States Tennis Association presented, USTA & NAPF Present A Webinar: Assessing & Updating Your Park Tennis Facilities. Please see below to find links to several resources from this presentation that you may be interested in, including a link to a recording of the webinar.

Presentation Slides

Presentation Recording

Pickleball Statement of Guidance

Park Agency Tennis Assessment

BACKGROUND:

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the National Association of Park Foundations (NAPF) have entered into a collaborative relationship to promote the growth of tennis by strengthening local park systems.

The NAPF is nationwide membership organization comprising more than 100 local park foundations, which serve as the citizen-governed charitable partner of municipalities’ parks and recreation departments. The NAPF provides its members with organizational resources and educational programs that enhance and strengthen park systems in their communities.

As part of the collaboration between the two organizations, six NAPF members will be chosen to participate in a pilot program that will include completing the USTA’s Municipality and Park Assessment, which analyzes a community’s capacity to successfully deliver tennis to its residents. Both organizations will also explore additional ways to expand and enhance tennis offerings in communities around the country through the parks and recreation system, while also promoting the health benefits of tennis.

Please feel free to reach out to Kevin D. Korenthal at (940) 448-0057 or execdir@the-napf.org with any questions or interest you may have in the assessment tool and grant programs being offered through our partnership with USTA.

In an effort to provide assistance to decision-makers of facility operations at park and recreation facilities, the USTA in concert with park professionals has created a set of suggested guidelines regarding tennis and pickleball courts. This information is intended as a resource for park leaders who must make decisions surrounding the utilization and construction of these areas.  

Statement-of-guidance FINAL.pdf

If we can be of further assistance, or if there are any specific questions you would like to ask, please contact us at facilities@usta.com.

The National Association of Park Foundations asks that you join them in congratulating executive director, Kevin D. Korenthal, CAE on being honored as “Certified Association Executive (CAE) of the Year” by the Dallas-Fort Worth Association Executives (DFWAE).

McKinney, Texas, April 24, 2022: Kevin D. Korenthal, CAE joined NAPF as its executive director in December of 2021 having successfully completed and passed the Certified Association Executive (CAE) exam in December of 2020. On April 23, 2022 he was honored by his peers and the board of the DFWAE as CAE of the Year at the organization's annual DFWAE Association Day. 

The CAE of the Year Award is presented annually to the DFWAE member who supports, recruits, and encourages association executives to successfully challenge the Certified Association Executive (CAE) exam.

“Kevin’s excitement for and promotion of ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership’s CAE credential through his interactions with the members of DFWAE is a reflection of the energy and enthusiasm he puts into everything he does and reflects well upon the National Association of Park Foundations'', said Debbie Trueblood, MSW, IOM, CAE, Vice-Chairperson of the National Association of Park Foundations (and herself a CAE). “It advances the credibility and competency of NAPF to have a staff leader who holds such passion and enthusiasm for educational advancement which is a primary area of this organization’s work.”

About ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership: ASAE helps associations and association professionals transform society through the power of collaboration.

About Dallas/Ft. Worth Association Executives (DFWAE) serves the association community by promoting professionalism, encouraging leadership development and facilitating the exchange of ideas and information through quality programs and services.

About The National Association of Park Foundations is the trusted national leader in providing knowledge, skills and capacity to local park foundations, volunteers and other citizens who work to enhance and strengthen park systems in their communities.

About The Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential is the marker of a committed association professional who has demonstrated the wide range of knowledge essential to manage an association in today’s challenging environment.