It Starts In Parks
"To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug."
Helen Keller
What's New

2008 Director's Salary Study Released
Florida State University and the Florida Recreation and Park Association are pleased to release the 2008 Salary and Benefits Study for municipal and county parks and recreation agencies.

Foundation Auction Items
The FRPA Foundation will host its Annual Silent and Annual Live Auctions at the upcoming FRPA Conference.  The Silent Auction boasts 90 items ranging from golf to resort stays.  The Live Auction is full of beautiful baskets of all sizes and shapes, vacation home stays, hotel stays, golf, and of-course the Daytona 500 skybox tickets from Musco Sports Lighting.  If you can't be at the conference, be sure to have someone bid for you. The holiday season is right around the corner, so don't miss this chance to shop early, and OFTEN!

FRPA Vision Plan Adopted
The FRPA Board of Directors at their May meeting, adopted a three year Vision Plan for the Association.  The Plan will layout the initiatives of the Association, which will in turn create the work plan for the Association's Board, Committees and Task Forces for the coming three years.  The Plan will be a "rolling" document, and each year the following year will be refined, prioritized and, a new year will be added.  The consistency that the Plan will bring to the allocation of resources will assure the long term goals for the Association are met.

Conference Pre-Registration Closed

Pre-Registration for the FRPA Annual Conference which begins August 25th has closed.  Any registrations at this point will need to be completed on-site.  Please be aware that there are no Full Registration or No Frills Registration packets available on-site.  While it may be more affordable to register for those packages rather than the Daily Registration Option, we have no meal tickets available as guarantees have been provided to the hotel.

Conference Overflow Hotel

The Annual Conference hotel has filled.  We have set aside a block of rooms at the Ramada Orlando Celebration Hotel (at I-4 and Highway 192) which is about 5-7 minute drive from the Coronado Springs Resort.  To make a reservation, please phone (after 3:00 p.m. on August 5th) 1-877-467-5786 and ask for the FRPA room rate of $49-$59.  For those who have been attending FRPA Conferences for many years, this is the former Hyatt where we have hosted conferences before.  The Hotel has now been renovated and has just recently re-opened, offering great summer rates.

Florida's Leadership Profile Tool Now Available On-Line

Have you ever wondered how you “measure up” to others in the field of parks and recreation?  What skills have today’s leaders identified as those that are necessary to catapult you to the top?  FRPA’s Parks and Recreation Leadership Skills Profile provides you direct answers to these questions. 

How do I get started?  Complete the Leadership Skills Profile Enrollment Form and return it to the FRPA Executive Office.  When the payment is processed, we will email you a login and password, as well as a link to the website.  Just that easy, login and measure your skills.

So what do I do with the information?  Once you complete your profile, you will receive an individual report.  We encourage you to review the report.  We also suggest that you share the report with your supervisor, or a mentor – someone who will work with you to address any areas where improvement may be needed, and celebrate your success in the areas where you excel.  The tool is intended to provide for increased professional growth.