Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Great Success at VRPS Conference

The annual Virginia Recreation and Parks Society conference just concluded and was a great success. The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority sent 9 people this year to learn and share information on the latest trends in our field.

We walked away with top honors in best renovation/addition for communities of over 100,000 for creating what many see as the best mountain bike trail system on the East Coast, which is at Fountainhead Regional Park.

The complete re-design and construction of the mountain bike course at Fountainhead was done in partnership with MORE (Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts). As activist mountain bikers the team at MORE was able to envision the ultimate course, and using the already challenging terrain we were able to create a challenging course that attracts mountain bike enthusiasts from great distances to come and experience one of the greatest courses in existence.



Excellence in Motion:
The professional team at the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority includes some of the best in our business. This expertise was on display at the VRPS Conference with many of our internal leaders sharing their knowledge and experience with other in the field. Below is a list of educational sessions that were led by NVRPA team members:

Hosting a Holiday Light Show- strategies for success- Keith Tomlinson and Kate Irwin


Water Trail Development and Management- John Houser

Create a Project Plan in under 60 minutes- John Houser

Developing Successful Teen Volunteer Programs- Casey Pittrizzi

Professional Development- How to take the next step- Blythe Russian

Just being selected to lead such a session is a great honor. The fact that they were all demonstrating the cutting edge thinking in these areas is even better. The work that these and all the other high performing members of the NVRPA team do enhances the lives of millions of people every year. They embody what is best about our region and our field!