Women in Parks and Recreation

WiPaR recently partnered with Rec Technologies for a webinar on leadership, systems, and the future of parks and recreation. The session examined how intentional leadership, robust organizational infrastructure, and appropriate tools sustain programs, improve staff effectiveness, and increase community impact. (Recorded 11.3.25)

Key takeaways

• Intentional leadership sets direction and models values, enabling teams to prioritize community-centered outcomes.

• Strong systems, transparent processes, defined roles, and reliable data create consistency and allow programs to scale.

• The right technology supports workflow efficiency, transparent communication, and better decision-making without replacing human-centered leadership.

• Aligning people, processes, and technology ensures agencies can deliver services that respond to community needs and adapt to changing demands.

Practical actions for agencies

• Assess leadership practices to ensure decision-making reflects community priorities and staff development.

• Map core processes and identify gaps to standardize or streamline systems.

• Choose technology that complements existing workflows, supports data-driven planning, and is accessible to staff and community members.

• Invest in training and change management to ensure staff effectively adopt new systems and tools.

• Establish evaluation measures to track program sustainability, staff capacity, and community outcomes.

Conclusion: Bridging leadership strategy with operational practice enables parks and recreation agencies to build resilient programs. When leaders intentionally align people, processes, and technology, they strengthen organizational capacity and enhance community service now and into the future.

Women in Aquatics

This Meeting was previously recorded on May 16, 2022.

Open Space Radio

Creating a Space for Women in Parks and Recreation — Episode 085