NHRPA State Conference - Celebrating 75 years!
We are looking forward to a great conference celebrating 75 years of NHRPA and we hope you will join us! Attendee registration is now open! The Conference Committee is working hard to finalize the agenda so In the meantime we are happy to introduce you to our Keynote Speaker:
Mark Honberger - Remarkable Recreation Solutions
A Little Bit About Mark
Mark Honberger has over 30 years’ experience in the Parks and Recreation Profession, most recently serving 5 years as the General Manager for the “Coalinga-Huron Recreation and Park District” in California.
He brings a wide breadth of experience that includes working in Non-Profit Recreation, Commercial Recreation, Faith-Based Recreation, and of course Municipal Recreation; both with Cities and with Special Districts.
At the end of 2016, Mark moved to Arizona with his family, where he now enjoys working on his homestead near Show Low, AZ. Mark loves giving back to the Parks and Recreation Profession and is now working with Recreation Agencies on a consulting basis.
He started his own company called “REMARKABLE RECREATION SOLUTIONS”, which provides creative & strategic solutions to meet the budgetary and community needs of Recreation Agencies to help them THRIVE!
Celebrating the Past, Present and Future... Full Agenda:
7:45 – 8:30 Registration – coffee and light snacks
8:30 – 8:45 Welcome and Opening Remarks NHRPA President Matt Casparius
8:45 – 10:00 Mark Honberger, with Raising the Bar Keynote
We all want to be better at what we do, right? That’s what “RAISING THE BAR” is all about. It means taking our performance as Recreation Professionals to the next level; finding ways to improve how we go about our “business.” Ultimately, it means turning those “Big Ideas” into practical “Action Steps” that you can start accomplishing tomorrow, so we can be “RAISING THE BAR” for our agencies.
10:00 – 11:00 Vendor Hall & Networking
11:00 – 11:30 Let’s Celebrate!! 75 years in the Making of NHRPA
11:30 – 1:00 Lunch and Vendor Time
1:00 – 2:00 2 Choices for Education Sessions (Select one):
Education session with Mark Honberger, on Wow Factor: What is it about those recreation programs that sets them apart from others? What is it about those parks or recreation centers that have that ability to always draw the community in? The answer we’re looking for is: “Wow Factor!”; that ability to stand out from the crowd with something unique or unexpected... But can we have that Wow Factor without sacrificing our original mission? Yes. We. Can! Come learn “How To Wow!”
Education Session - “Achieving Professional Excellence Through NHRPA”
For 75 years NHRPA has provided incredibly valuable services to its members. Unlike much of the country, many NH Recreation Professionals operate in small Recreation Departments – many are one professional departments as such NHRPA’s impact to its Parks and Recreation Professionals may be more valuable than those in larger state associations - providing opportunities that be are harder to find in smaller departments - networking with colleagues, mentorship, learning opportunities etc.
Whether you are a brand-new Parks and Recreation Professional or have been in your position for a while, this session brings together a panel of “Professionals Across the Decades” to share their expertise with audience focusing on professional excellence – why it’s important and NHRPA’s role in helping them to achieve Professional Excellence. Among other subjects the session will address: What is Professional Excellence? How does it relate to improving the quality of facilities and services in individual communities; the importance of mentorship – both as mentor and mentee, Learning from Mistakes and Successes; How a strong Association translates to better Parks and Recreation Services for NH communities and more.
2:00 – 2:30 Additional Vendor Hall & Networking
2:30 – 3:30 Education Session - “If Only Someone Had Told Me – Lessons Learned Through Careers in Parks and Recreation”
Including Retired and Honorary members in the 75th Celebration gives us a unique opportunity to tap into the vast years of knowledge. While times have changed and the challenges of today’s recreation professionals may be different than those who provided services years ago, at the heart of it, the goals are the same. Utilizing the Panel Concept this session will be a lively interchange between professionals of different decades. 2 Retired Professionals, 2 current but seasoned professionals, and 2 “Newer” professionals. The facilitated panel will start with a short introduction with panelists will very briefly identify the following: The one thing that they are most proud of in their career; their biggest regret; what did or does cause them the most stress? What was their most daunting challenge and how did they face it-what was the outcome? What was the most amusing thing in their career? Their one piece of advice for professionals today. We then open the discussion up to the audience to ask any of the panel for advice on anything that they’re dealing with currently.
3:30 – 4:00 Final Remarks & Raffles
THANK YOU CONFERENCE SPONSORS!!!
Keynote Sponsor: Landscape Structures
