Each year, the CPRS State Board acknowledges outstanding work by Regions, Districts, and Sections. The “CPRS State Board 100 Award” will honor one District, Section or Region to acknowledge the creative and outstanding work done to serve the CPRS membership.
The focus is the CPRS ENDS (Education, Networking, Distinctive Connection with Members, and Storytelling through Social Media Campaigns, Video Production and Newsletters, to name a few). To learn more about the CPRS Board ENDS, visit CPRS Governance.
The winner(s) will be announced at CPRS Connections, April 3-6, 2023 in San Diego. Winners will also be recognized in the CPRS magazine and through social media posts.
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Help us congratulate these Board 100 Award winners from 2022!
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SECTION Winner:
CPRS Development & Operations
SORE (AB 1346) Outreach and Engagement Programs
The Development and Operations Section (D&O) prides itself on providing best practices to staff involved with the planning, development, maintenance and operations of park facilities. Late in 2021, members of the D&O Board began tracking the progress of Assembly Bill 1346 which aimed to ban the sale of new small off-road engines (SORE) under 25 gross horsepower by 2024.This includes pivotal landscaping equipment utilized to maintain parks on a daily basis including, but not limited to leaf blowers, lawnmowers, chainsaws, and pressure washers. After the adoption of AB 1346 on October 9, 2021, the D&O Board immediately began planning outreach and engagement opportunities for all interested parties.
The D&O Section successfully informed agencies of the impacts of AB 1346 via web announcements, social media posts and programs. This included one dedicated program to SORE legislation held on January 13, 2022. The D&O section sought to develop partnerships with equipment manufacturers and batter-powered advocates and succeeded in doing so by forming a strong partnership with the American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) and B&M Landscaping and Mean Green Mowers. Additional programs in 2022 featuring SORE content were held during the annual Park Symposium in March and the Park Planning and Development Institute in October. Program content included grant opportunities for battery-powered equipment purchases, hands-on training on battery-operated landscape equipment and networking opportunities with advocacy and partner organizations. Last, park specific feasibility studies were presented on equipment conversions with pertinent information regarding charge times, equipment lifespans, performance and pricing (courtesy of the cities of Glendale and Redwood City).
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DISTRICT Winner:
CPRS District 10
Triple Threat Trifecta
CPRS District 10 historically holds numerous successful educational and networking events each year. The start of the 2022 board year was no exception. To accommodate our membership work schedule and minimize the number of trips to the various events, the Fall General Membership Meeting and Vendor Expo, Mentoring Program, and Fall Social was all held on the same day, resulting in a “Triple Threat Trifecta” on October 12, 2022.
The Fall General Membership Meeting and Vendor Expo provided a variety of educational sessions to CPRS District 10 members. This event also showcased and connected members to various vendors and sponsors to cultivate professional relationships and CPRS District 10 trainings, events, and activities were promoted. The Mentoring Program introduced the mentors and mentees to each other in order to facilitate successful mentorships. Discussions were had about the mentee's desired goals for participating in the program and examined the mentee's career plan in order to enhance it. The Fall Social had the CPRS District 10 members networking in a fun, relaxed environment. The Triple Threat Trifecta was a very successful event that had the Fall General Membership meeting attended by more than 100 parks and recreation professionals which is a record number of attendees. Two free CPRS 2023 Conference passes were raffled off to members in attendance. Attendance at all three events consisted of many cities that do not typically participate in CPRS District 10 activities.
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REGION Winner:
CPRS Region 2
Region 2 Mini Conference: Plug in and Power Up
This year the Region 2 had specific goals in mind when hosting the Mini Conference Plug in and Power Up. Region 2 hoped to connect with their communities and plug in to networking and educational opportunities in order to return to individual agencies with batteries charged and ready to perform.
After a 2 year hiatus due to COVID-19, attendees were thrilled to have this local educational opportunity return which was evident through the high volume of registrants. Over 175 attendees had the opportunity to connect with parks and recreation professionals, both members and non-members of CPRS across Region 2: Districts 4, 5 and 6. Region 2 consists of San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. In addition, the Region 2 Mini Conference had attendees who came from other districts as far south as El Cajon.
Attendees had the opportunity to network with one another during the morning check-in over coffee and pastries, lunch, time in between sessions and at the social which was held post-conference. Attendees participated in educational sessions and were encouraged to connect individually with session speakers throughout the day. Informative and engaging sessions covered a variety of topics and provided attendees with opportunities to learn, challenge their thought process to think differently, develop new skills, ask questions, brainstorm, and share.
Attendees left the conference feeling rejuvenated with their batteries charged and with new skills and knowledge that could then be shared and implemented in their own agencies. "The Los Altos team really enjoyed the conference and will be sharing its highlights with the entire department today during our quarterly staff meeting." The mini conference reminded professionals of the importance of building connections and peer relationships. The mission of CPRS is to “advance the park and recreation profession through education, networking, resources and advocacy.” The Region 2 Mini Conference encapsulated and exemplifies exactly that.
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