Conference Schedule at a Glance
Sessions are subject to change
All sessions are CEU sessions
2012 Brochure Available Here
Tuesday 1/10/12
10:00a-1:00p NERN Meeting
11:00a-5:00p Registration
Lunch (on your own)
11:45a-1:00p Student Welcome Lunch
Students! Have lunch on us! The NNE conference committee invites all students to lunch! Make new connections! Learn about the conference and get your questions answered in a casual atmosphere with Recreational Professionals and some of our Exhibitors. This is free to any full time student registered for the conference. Make sure you check the student lunch box on the registration form.
1:00-2:15p Keynote "The Invisible Push"
Ed Gerety is a leading speaker and author on youth leadership in the United States. In this inspiring and high-energy keynote, he shares the five principles that are essential to playing big in the game of life. This program will energize those who work with youth to stay focused on their commitment to making a difference. You'll learn what it takes to create the invisible push in your personal and professional life.
2:15-3:00p Visit with Exhibitors
3:15-5:45p Institutes
Behavioral and Values Assessment - Session Powerpoint Slides
S
peaker Rick Alpers, PRIMEX3, Member Services Consultant, NH Public Risk Management Exchange
The concept of Human Factors —who we are, what we do, and why we do it— will be introduced and expanded upon to 
explore how a participant’s values and behaviors impact his or her leadership and communication style. Participants will gain valuable insight into how their behaviors impact the organization and their respective teams. Once behaviors are identified, attendees will learn how they can leverage their strengths and modify their weaknesses to have a more positive impact on those around them. This session will include identifying how behaviors can create conflict, learning how to manage these responses, and looking at the impact and opportunity of our behaviors. This institute requires a separate pre-registration so that attendees can complete an emailed pre self-assessment! There is an additional cost of $37.50 and space is limited.
CATCH Boosters - Grids & CATCH-ifying
Speakers Hilary Bride, Moultonborough Rec. Dept. NH & Craig Fraley, Rindge Rec. Dept. NH
Grid Games looks at the play format of GRIDS (active learning areas with limited space) and Station lines. This session will break down GRIDS into structure, format, set up and application. In addition, this session will provide the tools (worksheets with games and tricks of the trade) and planning time necessary for setting up GRIDS is your environment to get the maximum use of facilities and resources.
CATCH-ifying Games emphasizes looking at and redesigning classic games and sports in order to allow maximum opportunity for participation, fun, and cardio workout. This booster will have each participant engage in activities, creatively problem solve the structure and format of traditional games/sports, have groups work and plan together and have a facilitated group discussion.
Grant Writing
Speaker Boyd Hegarty, UNH
The overarching goal of this hands-on workshop is for you to come away ready to write for a grant, and have parts of it already written. Prepare to write a proposal for a small to medium grant. Learn the process for identifying funding sources for grants. Understand how to construct the components of a grant proposal including the ever-important needs statement. Leverage existing research and your own program evaluation to aid in gaining funding. Develop effective outcome objectives paired with corresponding evaluation.
5:45-7:00p Exhibitor Social
7:00-8:15p Dinner
8:30p Fireworks
9:00-12:00a All New Hospitality Suite
Wednesday 1/11/12
7:00a-3:00p Registration
9:00-10:15a Session I
Planning for Small NNE Townships and Case Studies Part I Speaker Karon Badalamenti, Green Play LLC and Friends
Small communities have unique challenges when approaching master planning including limited resources. In this session Karon will share the latest best practices and industry tools in planning for park and recreation services. You will learn the difference between types of plans, why and when to use the different types; the various tools and methods available for assessing needs, and why there is not just one master plan template for all agencies.
Defusing Hostile Customers - Session Powerpoint Slides
Speaker Jan Geden CPRP, Retired Director of City of Boulder Parks & Rec. and NRPA Directors School Faculty Member
This session will explore and validate the unique environment and challenges of working in local government with a focus on handling hostile situations. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the different constraints they face, reflect on a past hostile situation they encountered that did not have a favorable outcome, learn about the science of hostile behavior and how it escalates, and learn about of a process designed to defuse hostile behavior.
Got Dirt - Digging & Dining to Cultivate Community
Speakers Libby McCann, PhD, Core Faculty & Director, Environmental Education Program & Advisor of Keene Community Garden Connections Initiative & Andy Bohannan, Director of Keene Parks, Recreation & Cemeteries, NH
What are edible ways that your Recreation & Parks Department can work to increase community health and wellness? Learn how Keene, NH’s Recreation Center is cultivating innovative garden and nutrition programming with community members and CATCH afterschool program participants and families, in partnership with Keene Community Garden Connections and Early Sprouts. You will come away with hands-on activities and ideas to begin or continue efforts to enrich your youth and community programming. Let’s get growing!
50+ Senior Programming
Speakers Edward S. Trainer, Director Healthy Aging for Southern Maine Agency on Aging;
Kristine Flythe, City of Lebanon Recreation & Parks Department, NH; & Patti Drelick, Director of The Town of Salem (NH) Senior Services.
Learn strategies for attracting younger seniors to your recreation department’s programs and how you can collaborate with senior centers to better utilize volunteers and reach more of this population. If you have great programs that you are offering for your 50+, please come prepared to share & inspire others! Learn the new trends, what other departments are offering and brainstorm ideas for programming for this group.
10:15-11:00a Vendor Visit
11:15-12:30p Session II
Planning for Small NNE Townships and Case Studies Part II
Speaker Karon Badalamenti, Green Play LLC and Friends
In Part Two of this session there will be a brief review of Part 1 of this session for new attendees. Karon will moderate two case studies from recent master plan projects in Essex, VT with Director Mark Berry, and Keene, NH with Director Andy Bohannon. Cindy Heath as the project manager for these two agencies will set the context and share similarities and difference between the two agencies. Mark and Andy will share their master planning process/ experience, lessons learned and etc. Followed by time for questions and answers.
Women & Leadership – What Women & Men Should Know Session Powerpoint Slides
Speaker Jan Geden, CPRP, Retired Director of City of Boulder Parks & Rec. and NRPA Directors school Faculty Member
This session will explore the past, present and future of women and leadership by charting the progress women have made in the existing pathways to leadership and the challenges they continue to face. Learn about the traits associated with leadership, how those traits have been applied to both men and women and whether these traits indicate a natural gender preference for strong leadership. The future for women and leadership and its significance to the field of Parks and Recreation will also be explored.
Teen Programming - Inside Look at the Outdoors
Speaker Maria Young, Education Director, NorthWoods Stewardship Center
The potential risks and benefits of teen programming are enhanced in an outdoor setting. Understanding how to minimize risk and maximize benefit is a necessary part of running successful outdoor teen programs. How do we get adults outside, and ‘keep them there’ for life? Motivating, implementing, and sustaining successful strategies of providing outdoor life skills for adults.
Winter Facility Maintenance - Best Practices
Speakers Peter Bingham, Cumberland, Maine Recreation Superintendent, Marty Hornick, Burlington, Vermont, Grounds Foreman, Damian Renzello, Owner of Damian J. Products, LLC.
Learn the tricks and secrets to providing outstanding winter facilities from these seasoned veterans. Peter, Marty, and Damian have decades of experience and knowledge when it comes to preparing and maintaining winter parks & recreational facilities. They represent both the public park maintenance and product retail sides of winter facility maintenance.
12:30-1:30p Lunch
As part of the Luncheon the Annual New England Recreation & Parks professional awards may be presented if the winner is from NE and attending the conference. Another possibility is to recognize NHRPA, MRPA or VRPA award winners at this time.
1:45-3:00p Session III
Understanding & Utilizing Local Media and Social Media
Speaker; Steve Rex, VP Front Row Marketing
When it comes to advertising and marketing your programs and offerings, there are a lot of options for you. How do you decide which is the right one to use? In this breakout session we'll discuss the pros and cons of local media like print and internet. We'll also take a look at some social media like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and discuss how they can be a tool when you want to stay connected with your community. This session will give you more direction and help you understand different ways you can market your town parks and recreation department's offering throughout the year.
Difficult Conversations - Effective Communication - Session Powerpoint Slides
Speaker Jan Geden CPRP, Retired Director of City of Boulder Parks & Rec. and NRPA Directors school Faculty Member
Having a difficult conversation can be a defining moment in your career. If you recognize that honest conflict can be acceptable without being adversarial, learning how to master the art of having difficult conversations can improve your organization, improve your relationships and jump start your career. This session will provide you with some basic techniques to master the art of having difficult conversations from preparation to closure.
Outdoors for Life - Outdoor Life Skills for Adults
Speaker Maria Young, Education Director at NorthWoods Stewardship Center, VT
How do we get adults outside, and “keep them there” for life? Motivating, implementing, and sustaining successful strategies of providing outdoor life skills for adults.
Special Events - Call of the Wild Style
Speakers Aimee Gigandet & Lisa Thompson
When we mean call of the wild style, we mean it! Be prepared to share your wild, creative, trendy, special events, programs and/ or any awesome marketing strategies in this session! This session is guaranteed to re-inspire you and get you wild & crazy about why you do what you do! Participants may either email your successful event/ program (kids, teens, seniors, family, sports, revenue generators, marketing ideas, etc.) beforehand to: agigandet@newmarketnh.gov or share them in a Survey Monkey which will be emailed to you after you’ve registered for the conference. Wild prizes awarded to audience favorites!
3:00-3:15p Break
3:15-4:30p Session IV
How to Get Sponsorship Money for your Programs Speaker Steve Rex, VP Front Row Marketing
This session will discuss how individual parks and recreation departments can try and drive additional revenue through sponsorships. We will discuss understanding your assets, what has value, creative ideas, packaging inventory, communicating and locating potential sponsors and how to approach them.
Parks Best Practices-Panel Discussion
As budgets get tighter, how do you keep up with the constant demand of maintaining athletic fields and keeping them safe? This session with introduce proper techniques to maintain and repair all types of athletic fields.
More Ways to Stretch a $
Speakers; Geoff Beyer, Montpelier Parks & Recreation & Cindy Hazelton, Gorham Parks & Recreation
This session will explore strategies and ideas that Cindy Hazelton and Geoff Beyer have successfully used to make their local tax dollars work harder. Finding capable volunteers, job trainees, low cost labor force, fundraising and local resources are some of the areas that will be explored.
Leadership on a Slack Line - Balancing Life Session Powerpoint Slides & Handout
Speaker Cindi Wight, Recreation Director, Rutland, VT
Eight lessons for leadership using sports as a metaphor based on the book “At the Helm” by Peter Isler & Peter Economy. This session will go through lessons such as “Make a Total Commitment,” “Stack the Deck In Your Favor” and “Expect the Unexpected.” Using her experiences playing sports, continuing her education at NCSU and being well known as a “life long player”, Cindi will help you be a stronger leader and someone who embraces life.
5:00p NHRPA Meeting
5:30-6:30p Cocktail Hour
7:00-11:00p Dinner & Entertainment
9:30-1:00a Hospitality Suite
Thursday 1/12/12
8:00-9:00a Breakfast & Roundtables
9:00-10:15a Endnote
Winning With Attitude and Alliances
Speaker; Bob Crowley Bob considers himself a hybrid of Indiana Jones and Robinson Crusoe. He loves the outdoors and is always ready for his next adventure. He is a former high school physics teacher from Gorham, Maine, holds degrees in forestry from the University of Maine and a Masters of Education from University of Southern Maine. Bob has always been an entrepreneur and an outdoorsmen. His wide range of jobs span from being a first mate on a research boat for the Smithsonian Institution in Canada to an entomologist for the USDA, to a skunk relocator, as well as an active member of his local Teacher’s Union. When not on an adventure, Bob’s interests include journal writing, storytelling, photography, bone collecting, archeology and camping. This tree climbing scientist, who describes himself as honest, adventurous, resourceful and witty, built his truly “green” summer cabin back when green was only referred to as the color. His “green” cabin was completely built with recycled material and requires a fraction of the energy of the average U.S. home. Bob proved that nice guys can make it to the end of the game by winning the television show Survivor Gabon. He is the show's oldest winner and the first teacher to win the show.
Bob will share using his storytelling ability how attitude and alliances enabled him to survive 39 days in the jungle of Gabon and win the TV show Survivor Season 17. He will discuss winning survivor strategies for successful teamwork, the importance of developing real-life alliances, and how to overcome challenges when working with a diverse population. He will share some examples of using his resourcefulness and ingenuity that helped him to win.
12:00p Extended Room Checkout