Friday Post-Institute Leadership & Management

Friday May 4, 2012: 9:00am - 2:30pm, Bellevue City Hall
$99 per person, includes lunch

• 9:00am-10:30am - Keynote
• 10:45am-12:00n - Breakout Sessions
• 12:00n-1:15pm - Lunch
• 1:15pm-2:30pm - Breakout Sessions

Remaining flexible in the current economic environment has proven to be a survival strategy for many park and recreation agencies.  Learn about how to re-evaluate your community's priorities, shift programming, and increase your organization's efficienty.  Lead your organization to a new position of strength and innovation by adapting to and embracing change, rather than retreating to your comfort zone.

Happiness, Stress & Leisure  • 9-10:30am
Presented by: John de Graaf, Executive Director, Take Back Your Time
John de Graaf, Executive Director of Take Back Your Time, presents a humorous, big picture talk about the connections between happiness, stress, leisure and environmental sustainability.  For Thomas Jefferson, the pursuit of happiness depended on leisure and modern science is confirming that. The UN has called on all nations to measure happiness rather than GDP and Seattle activists are leading a national campaign around that theme.  They are finding that Americans' lowest scores on their happiness survey are in the areas of "time balance" and "environment and access to nature."  100 years ago, President Taft advocated 2-3 months of vacation for all Americans, but we now have the shortest vacations in the world and many companies are cutting vacation time altogether.  It's time to change our priorities!  Parks and recreation professionals can make a difference!

Bringing a Happiness Initiative to Your Town  •  10:45am-Noon
Presented by: John de Graaf, Executive Director, Take Back Your Time and Laura Musikanski, Executive Director, The Happiness Initiative.  
In serveral US cities, partnerships are planning and conducting local Happiness Initiatives (www.happycounts.org), to engage people in broader conversations about quality of life, including time balance and access to recreation.   Parks and recreation leaders can play an important role in such initiatives.  Find out what 's happening and how you can lead a happiness initiative in your community.

The Changing Face of Parks and Recreation  •  10:45am-Noon
Presented by: Kaleen Cottingham, Director, Recreation and Conservation Office and panel.
Whether we like it or not, parks and recreation services are operating in the political realm.  At the state and national level, investments in these services are competing against other priorities for funding.  The positives of parks and recreation (better health, economic development, fun) are often overlooked and seldom measured or reported.  The challenges are real, but they can certainly be overcome with strategic planning, collaboration and perhaps a repositioning of our profession.  Join a panel of leaders from four critical perspectives (agency, local government, private, and non-profit) for a fresh perspective on the parks and recreation industry and a look ahead to the future.

Xs, Ys, and Boomers: Bridging generations for resilience in the workforce  •  10:45am-Noon
Presented by: Matthew Chase, Professor and Program Director, Eastern Washington University
This program is designed to explore the dramatic demographic shifts that are currently taking place in the workforce. With Baby Boomers and Generation X and Y employees in the mix, the issues of succession planning, employee development, and retention are directly linked to effective managerial practices and habits. This presentation will highlight effective leadership and supervision strategies for the successful transition to a new workforce.

Organizational Effectiveness - Sharpening Your Axe  •  1:15-2:30pm
Presented by: Wai Petersen, Director, Manson Parks & Recreation District
There is an old adage, if I had 8 hours to cut down a tree, I’d spend the first 6 hours sharpening my axe.  As leaders in our organizations, it’s easy to get caught up in the immediate and urgent needs of the day to day operation – cutting down the tree. And what often gets overlooked is our development as leaders – sharpening the axe.  This session is specifically designed to provoke your thinking, from both a people,  productivity and organizational standpoint. You’ll come away with a greater awareness of where your organization currently stands, ideas to enhance your leadership approach and strategies to improve organizational effectiveness.

WWRP Funding in Challenging Economic Times  •  1:15-2:30pm
Presented by: Joanna Grist, Executive Director, Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition and Susan Zemek, Communications Manager, Recreation and Conservation Office
The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) provides critical grant funding for parks and recreation projects in Washington State.  The good news - we still have funding.  The bad news - grants are more competitive than ever.  Join staff from the WWRP Coalition and the Recreation and Conservation Office to debrief the 2012 legislative session and understand how the outcomes impact this critical funding source.  This session will also cover recent developments with the federal Land and Water Conservation fund.  As a finale, the speakers will provide the top three strategies for getting your application funded this year!

Our Communities Have Changed!  A Primer on the New "Civic Engagement Model"  •  1:15-2:30pm
Presented by: Debra Kollock, Director, WSU Stevens County Extension
Data from the 2010 Census put in numbers what many of us already knew – Washington communities experienced a significant demographic and cultural change in the last ten years. Join an interactive discussion to better understand the change that is happening in your community and how parks and recreation departments should respond.  You'll also learn tips on improving civic engagement strategies, which directly benefits all facets of your organization.