Why WiPaR
WiPaR is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit charitable organization that was created to meet the need for valuable collaboration and information sharing between women working in and supporting the parks, recreation, and leisure services professions. Through networking, collaboration, and learning, WiPaR’s goal is to strengthen women in the field. Join us in empowering each other to do the best we can for each other and our favorite profession!
Meet the Board
Lakita Watson, CEO, Women in Parks and Recreation
Lakita Watson is a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional with over 25 years of experience in organizational leadership, program development, and capital improvement project management. She served as the Executive Director of the Richland County Recreation Commission from July 2018 until February 2022. Prior to the Commission, Lakita served as the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Suffolk, Virginia from 2003 until 2018. In 2022, she started FreshStart Consulting LLC.
Lakita is a graduate of Norfolk State University where she received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Public Administration from Liberty University. She was inducted into the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) in 2020.
Committed to professional development and lifelong learning, Lakita actively teaches and mentors presenting at local, state, and national conferences. She also serves as a regent for the Revenue Management Development School and an instructor for Director’s School. Lakita is the immediate Past President of the National Recreation and Parks Ethnic Minority Society and serves on the American Academy of Parks and Recreation Administrator’s Justice Equity Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. In 2020, Lakita was elected to the Board of Directors for the National Recreation and Parks Association. She has served on the board for the National Association of County Parks and Recreation Officials since 2018. Lakita is a member of the GP Red Advisory Committee and was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the National Association of Park Foundations.
Melanie Scoggins
After nearly two decades representing vital organizations in both the public and private sector, Melanie has garnered integral experience in, parks and recreation, sponsorship, special event management, economic development, curriculum development, and business retention. She currently serves as the Business Development and Retention Manager for the Town of Leesburg, Department of Economic Development. Melanie is a Hampton Roads native and a graduate of George Mason University where she earned her degree in Recreation Resource Management. After making her home in Northern Virginia fifteen years ago, Melanie worked as an Education Manager with the National Recreation and Park Association, and as Division Manager for the Town of Purcellville Parks and Recreation Department. A strong proponent of community development and enhancement, Melanie has spent her tenure in the public sector advancing existing programs and creating new revenue-generating approaches to support quality of life for citizens and the local business community. She serves as founding member of the Board of Directors for Women in Parks and Recreation and a board member for the Loudoun Coalition for Women and Girls. Melanie resides in Leesburg with her husband, William, their three children and beloved pets.
Tiffany White-LaPierre
Tiffany White-LaPierre (LA-PEE-AIR) is a Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE) with nearly 20 years of experience in the parks and recreation industry. Tiffany grew up in the city of Chicago were she was first exposed to the world of parks and recreation, which is also where she got her start in the profession working as a seasonal lifeguard. Tiffany’s career spans across the country having lent her talents to organizations in California, Florida, Illinois and Texas, where she has held roles specializing recreation programming, facility operations, special events, day/overnight camps, after-school programs, teen programs, membership/guest services relations, and arts & media.
Tiffany is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and American Public University where she earned her BS in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism, MS in Sport Management, MA in Management, and is currently completing her dissertation to culminate her educational experiences with a Doctorate in Education specializing in workplace learning, training, and instructional design.
As a committed professional and advocate for advancing our profession, Tiffany has served on various boards and committees including the NRPA National Certification Board (two-time Chair), NRPA Conference Program Committee, Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS) North Region Conference Planning Committee and has recently completed her first agency assessment as a CAPRA Visitor. As of June 2023, Tiffany was appointed to the Board of Directors for the National Association of Park Foundations (NAPF).
Tiffany currently resides in Redlands, CA, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. When she is not working or studying, she loves to visit amusement parks (especially Disneyland!), spend time with her family, hang out at the beach, draw, paint, and create chalk art/hand-lettering designs.
Emily Upton
Emily began her career in Parks and Recreation with an internship with the Christiansburg Parks and Recreation department while attending Virginia Tech to receive a bachelors degree with a concentration in Exercise and Health Promotion. After working various jobs gaining valuable experience she began work with Suffolk Parks and Recreation in Virginia where she served as Personal Trainer, Administrative Assistant, Special Events Coordinator and Business Manager. She has a true passion for business organization and project management and was given the opportunity to help with the administrative work for Women in Parks and Recreation as the non-profit began to grow. She recently switched her day job to corporate finance but is grateful to join the board of Women in Parks and Recreation to help the organization grow and meet the mission of empowerment. She resides in Southampton County Virginia with her husband, Brandon (a Parks and Recreation veteran himself), and two small children.