Board 100 Award

Board 100 Award Banner
Each year, the CPRS State Board acknowledges outstanding work done by the Regions, Districts and Sections of CPRS.  The CPRS 'Board 100 Award’ honors one Region, one District and one Section for the work they do to serve the members of CPRS! 
CPRS Board 100 Award Seal

Help us congratulate these Board 100 Award winners from 2021!


SECTION Winner:CPRS Board 100 Award D&O Section
CPRS Development & Operations Section 
2021 Virtual Park Symposium
Originally planned as an in-person program in San Diego, the 2021 Virtual Park Symposium was changed to a virtual format 12 weeks before the event date. Hence, a new park facility needed to be secured that could not only support all means of digital media, but parks specific maintenance demonstrations as well. In addition, program content had to be shifted away from in-person opportunities to digital session slides, video panel discussions and live streaming platforms. Unchartered territory for the program included coordinating speakers, vendors and participants located throughout the state; staffing for program moderators and reporters "in the field"; locating resources for live streaming demonstrations; and mailing large program "swag bags". Interestingly enough, the unexpected benefit of shifting the Park Symposium to a virtual platform was reaching audiences far and wide who may not have had the opportunity to join in in-person. Hence, future Development & Operations Park Symposiums will consider including virtual elements to capture those members restricted by travel.

DISTRICT Winner:CPRS Board 100 Award D8
CPRS District 8
2021 Fall Forum Conference, Live and In Person
District 8 has held a successful Fall Forum as long as anyone on the board can remember, and some of us have been attending for going on 15 years. That is, until 2020 blew up everyone's plans for maintaining the status quo. But there's nothing like a disruption of epic proportions to assist in the reimagining of a long-standing event. 
Initially discussed at our Board Retreat in April, it was apparent by late Spring of 2021 that our area was in a position to be able to host some version of an in person Fall Forum so we set about planning for a single day conference type event. Hosted at the Hotel Corque in historic downtown Solvang on Friday, October 8th, 2021, we were excited to bring people together for a fun, professional development opportunity for the first time in more than a year.
The board and planning committee focused on 3 primary goals:
1. Networking/Gathering in Person
2. Professional Development
3. Promoting Leadership within CPRS District 8

2020 Board 100 Award Recipients

REGION Winner:         
Region 1 Fall Forum - reconfigured into the virtual
2020 CARE Conference
because Corona Ain't Ruining Everything!

As the name (CARE = Corona Ain’t Running Everything) indicates, the impact of Covid-19 was significant in every aspect of the planning and delivery of this event.  The traditional Region 1 Fall Forum had to be transitioned from an in-person 1-day event into a virtual 5-day conference.  Everything was done virtually, from the 8 months of team planning meetings, to the event itself. Speakers had to adjust their presentation to an on-line format. Room hosts had to become proficient at Zoom and its many features. Organizers had to develop on-line activities for networking. Technical support and teamwork became paramount to pivot and adapt as the entire Park and Recreation industry responded to Covid-19. While Covid-19 presented numerous challenges in the planning and delivery of this event, the planning team’s innovative response created unexpected positives. Most notably, the 2020 format saw an unexpected increase in member participation, totaling 330 attendees. The virtual structure included more out-of-area speakers than previous Fall Forums.  Also, the on-line sessions were recorded, and are now a resource that can reach even more Park and Recreation professionals.


DISTRICT Winner:      
CPRS D4 Swag Store

Early into the pandemic, the CPRS District 4 Board recognized that countless agencies and professionals throughout the state and in our district were being adversely impacted by COVID-19. The District 4 Exec Board established the CPRS D4 Swag Store as a fundraiser to sell branded park and recreation swag.

As a result of the D4 Swag Store, the District 4 Board team successfully:

  1. Curated a website, designed custom artwork, and established processes for invoicing, purchasing and shipping. 
  2. Worked tirelessly for a nationwide launch of the D4 Swag Shop via social media (CPRS District 4 Facebook/Instagram and the Women in Parks and Recreation Facebook group) and CPRS member emails that resulted in selling 390 masks and 1,264 stickers to people from 14 out of 15 CPRS districts as well as from 27 states as far as Texas, Florida and Maryland purchasing swag to support our efforts.
  3. In just 2.5 months, the Swag Shop has generated over $5,200 in net revenue for the District that will go toward continuing to advocate for our profession by supporting new and returning CPRS District 4 members.

SECTION Winner:       
Recreation Section School of Rec Virtual Conference

The Recreation Section was fully prepared to bring back Super Cal rebranded as the School of Rec, in-person in Lake Arrowhead, California. When COVID hit, the board had to make a big decision. Cancel School of Rec or go virtual. With no format to copy, the Rec Section Board pulled all of their resources and creativity to put on the first virtual conference within CPRS. With budgets in mind, the conference was offered at a small flat rate for members and non-members. School of Rec T-shirts were also created for participants to purchase. The goal was to offer support for the recreation profession as a whole. It was important that we had a mix of educational sessions including a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion panel. We all know how important conference is to refueling our passion for recreation and connection. 6 months after the first COVID shutdown, the School of Rec Conference brought in some of the State's best speakers to present and provide education and inspiration to over 150 professionals. The theme of the conference was "Return of the Rec", in recognition of the resiliency of the incredible people we saw transforming the world of recreation in order to continue serving their communities in the time of COVID.